Gallium-based liquid metals, such as eutectic gallium–indium (EGaIn), are metallic alloys that remain liquid near room temperature while retaining high thermal and electrical conductivity characteristic of metals. Distinct from conventional solid metals, liquid metals exhibit fluidic deformability, enabling spontaneous and conformal contact with complex, curved, and dynamically evolving interfaces. A defining characteristic of gallium-based liquid metals is the formation of a nanometer-scale native oxide layer on their surface, which plays a critical role in regulating interfacial adhesion, wetting behavior, dispersion stability, and interfacial electrical properties. This oxide layer further imparts mechanical stabilization, allowing liquid metals to be structured, patterned, and integrated into composite systems without uncontrolled flow.

​

In our research group, liquid metals are systematically studied through interface and composite engineering strategies, where oxide-mediated interfacial resistance, droplet morphology, and percolation behavior are precisely controlled to independently modulate thermal transport, electrical response, viscosity, and mechanical compliance. Leveraging these fundamental insights, liquid metals are developed into advanced thermal management materials, thermal interface materials, and multifunctional liquid metal–hydrogel systems for applications in soft electronics, bioelectronics, and energy-related technologies.