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About

Zhiwei Li is a leading researcher in the field of soft robotics and photothermal actuation, with a focus on harnessing light to create intelligent, adaptive materials. His major contributions lie in developing hybrid nanorods that convert light into mechanical work, enabling unprecedented control over motion and color. Li’s most cited work, "Light-powered soft steam engines for self-adaptive oscillation and biomimetic swimming" (2021, 209 citations), introduces a novel oscillator using Au/Cu hybrid nanorods to generate steam bubbles, achieving both continuous and pulsed oscillation through light intensity modulation—a breakthrough for biomimetic swimming robots. He further advanced the field by coupling magnetic and plasmonic anisotropy in hybrid nanorods for mechanochromic responses (2020, 96 citations), enabling programmable color changes in response to mechanical stress, with applications in bionic robots and colorimetric devices. Li’s polarization-modulated multidirectional photothermal actuators (2020, 59 citations) demonstrate a freestanding robot capable of walking along predesigned pathways, showcasing his ability to integrate light polarization for complex locomotion. With over 395 citations across his top papers, Li’s work is foundational for creating chameleon-like smart actuators and multifunctional robotic systems, positioning him as a pioneer in light-driven soft robotics.