Papers
18
Total Citations
590
H-Index
11
About
Lidong Zhang is a materials scientist and soft robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of stimuli-responsive materials, microfluidics, and autonomous systems. His research focuses on designing smart actuators, soft robots, and functional hydrogels that respond to diverse external triggers — including humidity, heat, light, acetone vapor, and near-infrared radiation — with precise, programmable motion. Zhang's most impactful contribution, his 2017 study on vapomechanically responsive microchannel-programmed actuators (178 citations), demonstrated how single- and bilayer material architectures could achieve rapid, reversible responses to trace chemical vapors, establishing a versatile platform for soft robotic design. His complementary work harnessing the Marangoni effect to drive miniature robots and generate electricity on water surfaces further showcased his creativity in energy conversion. Subsequent research expanded into hollow hydrogel microstructures for vascular biomedical applications, antifreezing hydrogel tubes, and light-controlled droplet manipulation (88 citations), reflecting both breadth and depth across scales. With over 530 cumulative citations across his featured publications, Zhang has made meaningful contributions to next-generation soft robotics, biomedical scaffolds, and adaptive sensor technologies, offering foundational tools for researchers designing intelligent, responsive material systems.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Vapomechanically Responsive Motion of Microchannel‐Programmed Actuators178 citations · 2017
- 2Light control of droplets on photo-induced charged surfaces88 citations · 2022
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- 5Multiresponsive Kinematics and Robotics of Surface-Patterned Polymer Film42 citations · 2018
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- 7Antifreezing Heat-Resistant Hollow Hydrogel Tubes39 citations · 2019
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