A research team led by Professor Hongjing Wu (Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes/Northwestern Polytechnical University) in collaboration with Researcher Hu Liu (Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes) has achieved novel progress in liquid metal-based electromagnetic wave absorbing materials. Their findings were published in the international journal Advanced Science (Multidisciplinary, IF=14.1).
In the context of escalating electromagnetic pollution and rapid advancements in high-end electronic devices, high-performance electromagnetic wave absorbing materials have become critical for safeguarding national defense security and ensuring reliable operation of information systems. Addressing national demands in electromagnetic compatibility and stealth technology, this work explores the utilization of low redox potential metal ions from salt lakes resources to develop liquid metal-driven composite absorbers. This strategy not only enables high value-added applications of salt lakes resources but also supports the construction of China’s next-generation electromagnetic protection material systems and intelligent equipment anti-interference technologies, contributing to global salt lakes industrial bases and national clean energy hubs. However, despite the attention garnered by liquid metal-based materials for their superior interfacial polarization and tunable dielectric properties, challenges such as low anchoring efficiency of low redox potential ions, insufficient thermodynamic driving force, and difficulty in suppressing side reactions have remained key bottlenecks hindering their performance enhancement and functional customization.
The joint research team provided an innovative solution to the challenge of low redox potential metal ion anchoring from a micro-level interfacial electron regulation mechanism. Titled “Friction-Assisted Liquid Metal-Driven Anchoring of Low Redox Potential Metal Ions for Enhanced Electromagnetic Wave Absorption”, the study introduces a friction-assisted liquid metal strategy that overcomes traditional electrochemical potential barriers, enabling efficient capture and stable anchoring of recalcitrant ions (e.g., Zn2+, Al3+ and Cr3+) and constructing liquid metal-based composite absorbers with abundant heterointerfaces and gradient polarization characteristics. The work systematically elucidates the mechanism by which high-energy localized electric fields and free-electron clouds generated during friction enhance ion reduction kinetics. It proposes a novel “friction-donor-interface anchoring” synergistic paradigm, offering a universal strategy for designing next-generation salt lakes-derived EMW absorbers with broadband absorption, strong attenuation capabilities, and lightweight properties. Professor Hongjing Wu and Hu Liu are the corresponding authors.
The research was funded by the Natural Science Foundation of Qinghai Province for Distinguished Young Scholars (Grant No. 2025-ZJ-966J), the Talent Youth Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. E410GC03), and 2024 Kunlun Talents Plan of Qinghai Province.
Figure 1 Preparation of liquid metal-based absorbing materials and schematic diagram of electromagnetic loss mechanism