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About

Zhen Tong is a leading innovator in the field of smart hydrogels, with a research focus on shape memory, self-healing, and stimuli-responsive soft materials. His major contributions lie in developing hydrogels that combine rapid, programmable actuation with robust mechanical properties. Notably, his 2020 work on an ultrafast shape memory hydrogel—created by simply soaking gelatin in tannic acid—achieved 110 citations, solving the longstanding challenge of slow and uncontrollable shape change in smart actuators. In 2021, he advanced the field further with a unique polyampholyte hydrogel that exhibits both self-reinforcing and rapid self-healing properties, alongside a pH-induced shape memory effect, garnering 66 citations. Earlier, in 2017, he pioneered dopamine-containing hydrogels with pH-modulated spontaneous actuation. Tong’s work is distinguished by its practical simplicity and multifunctionality, directly addressing barriers to real-world applications in soft robotics and biomedical devices. His research has been widely recognized for enabling materials that can change shape on demand, self-repair quickly, and respond to environmental cues—making him a pivotal figure in the development of next-generation intelligent materials.