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About

Deng Pan is a leading researcher at the intersection of 4D printing, soft robotics, and micro/nano fabrication, whose work is pioneering new ways to create life-like, responsive materials. His most impactful contribution is the development of botanical-inspired 4D printing of hydrogels at the microscale, a highly cited work (214 citations) that demonstrates how materials can be programmed to change shape over time, mimicking the dynamic behaviors of plants. Pan has also advanced the field of light-driven actuators, creating a transparent hydrogel actuator that harnesses the photothermal Marangoni effect and buoyancy flow for three-dimensional motion (99 citations), enabling direct, wireless control of soft machines. Further showcasing his technical ingenuity, he developed a hybrid strategy for rapidly fabricating 3D chiral microstructures by combining interfered femtosecond vortex beams with capillary-force-assisted self-assembly (35 citations). This work, merging top-down laser writing with bottom-up assembly, is significant for its speed and precision in creating complex optical and mechanical structures. Through these innovations, Deng Pan is fundamentally shaping how we design and manufacture intelligent, shape-shifting materials for the next generation of soft robots and microdevices.