Self-Powered Liquid Metal Interfaces Enable Autonomous Electrochemical Sensing of Pipeline Microleaks in Extreme Environments

The timely detection of pipeline micro-leakages in extreme environments such as deep-sea and extraterrestrial habitats remain a critical challenge due to the limitations of conventional delayed-response detection systems. Herein, we present an intelligent liquid metal bubble generator (LMBG) chamber capable of converting mechanical leakage signals into real-time electrical feedback through a self-powered transduction mechanism. The proposed system exploits the intrinsic electric potential difference of liquid metal (LM) and its oxide. The rupture of LM bubbles at leakage site activates a built-in galvanic cell between the metallic core and its oxide shell, achieving direct mechanoelectrical energy conversion without external power input. Notably, the system demonstrates ultrahigh sensitivity with linear voltage-volume (319.9 V·cm ^-3 ) and frequency-flow velocity (0.25 Hz·cm ^-1 ·s) correlations, rapid response characteristics (0.33 s latency). Meanwhile, the exceptional detection resolution for micro-leakages as small as 1.0×10 ^-3 cm ³ . This achievement in active sensing technology establishes a new route for intelligent infrastructure monitoring, particularly addressing the critical need for robust leakage detection systems in next-generation deep-sea exploration and space habitat applications.