Scientists made a wireless charging sheet you can cut like fabric and, when you're done with it, you can just dissolve the whole thing in a glass of water.
By using liquid metal in 3D-printed water-soluble channels, this technology makes high-efficiency electronics 'soft' and environmentally friendly. It allows for nearly 100% recovery of expensive components, paving the way for sustainable, flexible wearable tech.
3D-Printing Water-Soluble Channels Filled with Liquid Metal for Recyclable and Cuttable Wireless Power Sheet
arXiv · 2604.09299
A recyclable and cuttable wireless power transfer (WPT) sheet is proposed, enabled by H-tree wiring and water-soluble channels filled with liquid metal (LM). Conventional 2D WPT systems lose their functionality when physically damaged or modified. The H-tree wiring pattern maintains the operation of the remaining coils even after the outer region of the sheet is cut away. The LM can be recovered by dissolving 3D-printed polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) channels in water. The sheet dimensions were experim