Overcoming Rayleigh-Plateau instabilities in liquid metal streams via electrochemical oxidation

Liquid streams emerging from a nozzle break up rapidly into droplets due to Rayleigh–Plateau instabilities driven by surface tension. We find that a room-temperature liquid metal, eutectic gallium indium, can be formed into stable cylindrical streams by applying an oxidizing potential to a slowly-injected, high-surface-tension metal. We observe a range of morphologies, including droplets, fine (100-$\mu$m diameter) wires, and irregular shapes. The wire-like streams are stable enough to flow and bend around obstacles, suggesting their utility as means of producing and controlling metallic structures at room temperature.