College of Engineering » Mechanical Engineering

Title: Liquid Metal Composites for Electronic Tattoos and Self-Powered Wearables

Speaker: Mohammad H. Malakooti, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington

Abstract:
Liquid metal (LM) alloys such as eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) and gallium-indium-tin (Galinstan) have attracted tremendous interest over the past decade for their enabling combination of high electrical and thermal conductivity and low mechanical compliance and viscosity. Efforts to harness LM in wearable computing, soft robotics, and biomedical applications have largely involved methods to print or encapsulate the LM so that it can support functionality without leaking or smearing. In this talk, I will present two types of wearable electronics enabled by incorporating liquid metals. In the first part, I will introduce a scalable, cost-effective additive manufacturing technique for stretchable, thin-film electronics known as “electronic tattoos”. The significant role of LM in increased electrical conductivity and improved tolerance to tensile strain of the printed circuits will be discussed. Next, I will talk about the synthesis, properties, and application of liquid metal elastomer composites. Lastly, the application of these soft multifunctional composites in mechanically robust, yet soft and stretchable thermoelectric generators will be presented.

Bio:
Dr. Mohammad H. Malakooti is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington. He leads the iMatter Lab, a research group dedicated to creating materials that match the extraordinary adaptability, rich multi-functionality, and embodied intelligence of natural material systems by bridging the gap between nanoscale engineering and system-level functionality. He received his PhD at the University of Florida (2015), had a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Michigan (2015-2017), and was a Research Scientist at Carnegie Mellon University (2017-2019). He has received several professional honors and awards including ASME’s 2016 Best Paper Award in Energy Harvesting and 2017 Outstanding Postdoctoral Fellow Award at the University of Michigan.