[1PS-026]
우수논문발표상 응모자Liquid Metal-Elastomer Composites with Block Copolymer Dispersant for Stretchable Joule Heating Electrodes
발표자문성욱 (부산대학교)
연구책임자정범진 (부산대학교)
Abstract
Stretchable heaters are essential for medical devices and soft robotics. Liquid metals (LMs) offer excellent conductivity and deformability but face compatibility issues. LM microparticles (LMPs) typically require polar solvents, whereas elastomers such as SBS dissolve in non-polar solvents. Here, we overcome this limitation by using an amphiphilic block copolymer (BCP), PS-b-PEO as a dispersant. This strategy enables stable LMP dispersion in non-polar solvents, where PEO blocks anchor to the oxide shell and PS blocks ensure solubility in the SBS matrix. The resulting LMP/SBS/BCP(LSB) composite achieves an optimal conductivity (37.9 ± 7.94 S cm⁻¹) and high stretchability (~665%). The electrode demonstrates Joule heating properties (121 °C at 10 V) and successfully thermo-driven liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) actuators. This approach provides a versatile route for integrating LMs with various non-polar polymers for advanced soft electronics.