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About

Hong Xia is a leading researcher in the field of smart materials and soft robotics, with a focus on developing responsive actuators and sensors. Her work centers on the design of moisture- and light-responsive materials, particularly graphene and hydrogel-based systems, that can undergo programmable deformation. A key contribution is her pioneering development of moisture-responsive graphene paper via a simple photoreduction method (244 citations), which demonstrated controllable actuation under humid conditions. She has also advanced the field by integrating 3D printing to create programmable hydrogel microstructures (133 citations) and by engineering photothermal nanocomposite hydrogel actuators capable of localized, wireless remote control (81 citations). Her research extends to laser-fabricated graphene supercapacitors for wearable electronics (59 citations) and curved photodetectors using perovskite microwire arrays for conformal sensors (45 citations). With over 570 total citations across her most-cited works, Xia’s innovations in directional deformation and composite hydrogels have paved the way for moisture-controllable devices and soft robots, making her a notable figure in responsive materials engineering.