Gelatin stabilizes liquid metal in conductive hydrogels for sensing and energy harvesting The stretchable material tracks human motion, recognizes handwritten letters in real time, and converts absorbed solar heat into electricity. (Nanowerk News) The integration of liquid metals into conductive hydrogels has long been hindered by particle instability and coalescence. Researchers from Fuzhou University have developed a novel stabilization strategy using gelatin to create a highly uniform, conductive, and stretchable hydrogel. The study, published in the journal Nano Research ("Gelatin-stabilized liquid metal for conductive hydrogels with multifunctional sensing applications and energy harvesting"), describes a simple yet elegant strategy where gelatin molecules self-assemble on the surface of liquid metal particles (LMPs) through coordination bonding between amino/carboxyl groups and the metal’s oxide layer. Solar-to-Electric Energy Harvesting: The liquid metal within the gel acts as an efficient photothermal agent.