Jinwei Cao

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About

Jinwei Cao is a leading researcher in the field of soft active materials, with a primary focus on the development and characterization of electro-responsive ionic elastomers. His major contributions lie in pioneering a new class of materials known as ionic liquid crystal elastomers (iLCEs), which can be actuated by remarkably low voltages—less than 1 V—via both AC and DC fields. This breakthrough, detailed in his most-cited work (76 citations), demonstrates significant bending strains and opens new avenues for low-power soft robotics and flexible electronics. Cao further advanced the field by engineering crosslinked poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) elastomers modified with thiosiloxane and ionic liquids, achieving low-voltage bending through converse flexoelectricity (22 citations). His work is notable for enabling actuation at voltages as low as 1 V using PEDOT:PSS electrodes, a critical step toward practical, energy-efficient devices. By merging ionic conductivity with elastomeric mechanics, Cao’s research is shaping the future of soft actuators, sensors, and biomedical devices, making him a key figure in the next generation of smart materials.