Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: The increasing power density of modern electronic systems makes efficient thermal management essential for maintaining device performance, reliability, and operational lifetime. Among emerging thermal management materials, eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) has attracted attention because it uniquely combines metallic thermal conductivity with room-temperature fluidity, enabling efficient heat transfer and conformal contact with interfaces. In this review, we examine EGaIn as an adaptive thermal management platform and connect its material properties with the thermal functions they enable, their implementation in cooling systems, and the associated engineering challenges. We discuss how EGaIn enhances heat dissipation through interfacial heat transfer, liquid metal cooling, and thermally conductive composites, and review applications in batteries, high-performance electronics, electronic packaging, and flexible devices. We discuss challenges including oxidation, leakage, corrosion, electrical insulation, and long-term reliability, together with engineering strategies to address them. Finally, we provide perspectives for developing reliable EGaIn-based thermal management technologies for next-generation electronic and energy systems.
Source: iScience
Institutions: Tech University of Korea, Carnegie Mellon University
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,240
Funder: Korea Polytechnic University
OpenAlex ID: W7221821081