Liquid Metal Coated Textiles with Autonomous Electrical Healing and Antibacterial Properties

Conductive textiles are promising for human–machine interfaces and wearable electronics. A simple way to create conductive by coating fabric with liquid metal (LM) particles is reported. The process involves dip-coating the into a suspension of LM at room temperature. Despite being coated uniformly after drying, remain electrically insulating due native oxide that forms on particles. Yet, they can be rendered compressing textile rupture thereby percolate Thus, patterned mold pattern circuits textile. electrical conductivity these increases more Notably, patterns autonomously heal when cut forming new paths along edge cut. prove useful as circuit interconnects, Joule heaters, flexible electrodes measure ECG signals. Further, LM-coated provide antimicrobial protection against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Staphylococcus aureus. Such coatings route convert otherwise ability properties.