Room-temperature liquid metals (LMs), predominantly composed of gallium (Ga), possess distinctive characteristics that integrate metallic conductivity with liquid fluidity under ambient conditions. Their remarkable deformability, printability, safety, nontoxicity, and self-healing capabilities have broken through the constraints of traditional materials, facilitating their application across a wide range of fields. However, the functional characteristics of LMs are significantly affected by their nanoscale surface properties, which are determined by factors including composition, phase transformation, and surface atomic distribution. Herein, we propose a strategy to modulate the surface atomic distribution and properties of LMs by employing high-entropy trends. Bismuth (Bi) and zinc (Zn) were incorporated into eutectic eGaInSn to produce an entropy-enhanced multicomponent LM. The heat treatment methods enhance the dissolution and dispersion of Bi and Zn atoms within LMs, thereby ensuring a uniform distribution of the constituent elements. This process alters the atomic configuration and electronic structure of the surface, thereby regulating its electrodynamic properties. The strategy of high-entropy trends enhances the surface characteristics, including optical, electrical, mechanical, wettability, work function, thermal, and electrochemical properties. This approach provides novel methodologies for the functional design and application of LMs.
Xia et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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