From May 14 to 17, 2026, the 5th National Metamaterials Conference was held in Jinan. During the conference, "Liquid Gating Materials", completed by Professor Hou Xu's team at Xiamen University, was selected as one of China's Top Ten Metamaterials Advances 2026 in the technology innovation category. This recognition marks strong industry acknowledgement of liquid gating technology in intelligent metamaterials, interfacial materials, and advanced instruments.
The National Metamaterials Conference is an influential academic and industrial exchange platform for China's metamaterials community. With the theme "materials and intelligence symbiosis, artificial materials integrating artificial intelligence", the conference focused on the integrated development of AI and metamaterials and presented the latest achievements in electromagnetics, optics, mechanics, acoustics, thermotics, quantum materials, low-dimensional materials, and intelligent design.
Liquid gating technology was originally proposed by Professor Hou Xu's team at Xiamen University. It uses functional liquids as dynamic gating media and regulates trans-interface transport through the coordinated action of solid/liquid/gas or solid/liquid/liquid multiphase interfaces. Compared with traditional solid porous materials, liquid gating materials feature dynamic defect-free interfaces, adaptive soft interfaces, and reversible response.
As an important participant in the industrialization of liquid gating technology, GIFT has consistently focused on liquid gating instruments, application products, and innovative instrument design and manufacturing. Relying on the liquid gating technology system, the company continues to develop and promote liquid gating intelligent testing analyzers, pressure-threshold testing equipment, and related application products.
Liquid gating technology is not only achieving breakthroughs in basic research, but is also accelerating the formation of technical standards and product systems for industry applications. In the national standard plan for the biomimetic liquid gating technology transmembrane pressure test method, GIFT participates as one of the main drafting organizations together with Xiamen University and other research institutes and companies.
The selection of liquid gating materials as one of China's Top Ten Metamaterials Advances 2026 affirms Professor Hou Xu's original research achievements and injects new momentum into the engineering and industrial development of liquid gating technology. GIFT will continue to follow the path of technological innovation and achievement transformation, promoting high-end scientific instruments and innovative products for research, teaching, detection, sensing, environmental protection, life health, and advanced manufacturing.
