Welcome to our Micro-Nano Structured & Functional Polymer Composites Laboratory led by Prof. Chao Zhang. The lab was established after Dr. Zhang returned from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Germany in 2015 to take a professorship position at the College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, China, as well as the State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers & Polymer Materials. He focuses on fabrications of porous polymer composites for thermal-insulating applications. He has authored more than 130 journal papers with more than 8470 citations (Web of Science) and H index of 51. Besides, he has authored 3 book chapters, and >20 patents (12 awarded).
Study and Working Experiences
2015.5-Now, Professor, State Key Lab. for Modification of Chemical Fibers & Polymer Materials, College of
Materials Science & Engineering, Donghua University, P.R. China
2013.8-2015.2, Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Germany
2008.9-2013.6, PhD, Fudan University, P.R. China
2009.1-7, Visiting Scholar, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
2004.9-2008.7, B.S., Fudan University, P.R. China
Professional Activities
1. Youth Editor of the “Chinese Chemical Letters” journal
2. Youth Editor of the “InfoMat” journal
3. Youth Editor of the “InfoScience” journal
4. Youth Editor of the “eScience” journal
5. Youth Editor of the “Exploration” journal
6. Youth Editor of the “Nano-Micro Letters” journal
7. Guest Editor of the “Composites Communications” journal
8. General Secretary of the Nanocomposite Material Branch of the Chinese Society for Composite Materials
Selected Publications
1. Le Li, Yu Zhang, Hengyi Lu, Yufeng Wang, Jingsan Xu, Jixin Zhu, Chao Zhang*, Tianxi Liu*. Cryopolymerization
enables anisotropic polyaniline hybrid hydrogels with superelasticity and highly deformation-tolerant electrochemical
energy storage.
Nature Communications, 2020, 11(1), 62.
2. Yufeng Wang, Xiaobo Zhang, Song Liu, Ying Liu, Qisen Zhou, Tianyi Zhu, Yue-E Miao, Norbert Willenbacher,
Chao Zhang*, Tianxi Liu*. Thermal-rectified gradient porous polymeric film for solar-thermal regulatory cooling.
Advanced Materials, 2024, 36, 2400102.
3. Hele Guo, Qingyang Fei, Meng Lian, Tianyi Zhu, Wei Fan*, Yueming Li, Li Sun, Flip de Jong, Kaibin Chu, Wei Zong,
Chao Zhang*, Tianxi Liu*. Weaving aerogels into a 3D ordered hyperelastic hybrid carbon assembly.
Advanced Materials, 2023, 35, 2301418.
4. Le Li, Jian Meng, Xuran Bao, Yunpeng Huang, Xiuping Yan, Hailong Qian, Chao Zhang*, Tianxi Liu*. Direct-ink-write
3D printing of programmable micro-supercapacitors from MXene-regulating conducting polymer inks.
Advanced Energy Materials, 2023, 13(9), 2203683.
5. Peiru Shi, Yufeng Wang, Kening Wan, Chao Zhang*, Tianxi Liu. A waterproof ion-conducting fluorinated elastomer
with 6000% stretchability, superior ionic conductivity and harsh environment tolerance.
Advanced Functional Materials, 2022, 32, 2112293.
6. Hele Guo, Jun Zhou, Qianqian Li, Yueming Li, Wei Zong, Jixin Zhu, Jingsan Xu, Chao Zhang*, Tianxi Liu*. Emerging
dual-channel transition-metal-oxide quasiaerogels by self-embedded templating.
Advanced Functional Materials, 2020, 30(15), 2000024.
7. Hele Guo#, Qichun Feng#, Kaiwen Xu, Jingsan Xu, Jixin Zhu, Chao Zhang*, Tianxi Liu*. Self-templated conversion of
metallogel into heterostructured TMP@carbon quasiaerogels boosting bifunctional electrocatalysis.
Advanced Functional Materials, 2019, 29(34), 1903660.
8. Yufan Huang, Xu Zhang, Tianyi Zhu, Yufeng Wang, Nan Hu, Zeyu Ren, Xiaohui Yu, Dai Hai Nguyen, Chao Zhang*,
Tianxi Liu*. Aligned porous and anisotropic nanocomposite hydrogel with high mechanical strength and superior puncture
resistance by reactive freeze-casting.
Chemistry of Materials, 2023, 35(15), 5809-5821.
9. Yufeng Wang, Ying Liu, Roshan Plamthottam, Mike Tebyetekerwa, Jingsan Xu, Jixin Zhu, Chao Zhang*, Tianxi Liu*.
Highly stretchable and reconfigurable ionogels with unprecedented thermoplasticity and ultrafast self-healability enabled
by gradient-responsive networks.
Macromolecules, 2021, 54(8), 3832-3844.
10. Bing Zhang, Xu Zhang, Kening Wan, Jixin Zhu, Jingsan Xu, Chao Zhang*, Tianxi Liu*. Dense hydrogen-bonding
network boosts ionic conductive hydrogels with extremely high toughness, rapid self-recovery and autonomous adhesion
for human-motion detection.
Research, 2021, 2021, 9761625.
Full publication list:
Researcher ID: https://publons.com/researcher/1718854/chao-zhang/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4UbrB-0AAAAJ&hl=zh-CN
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1255-7183
Fundings
1. National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, 52122303, 2022.1-2024.12
2. National Natural Science Foundation of China, 52273067, 2023.1-2026.12
3. National Natural Science Foundation of China, 51773035, 2018.1-2021.12
4. National Natural Science Foundation of China, 21504012, 2016.1-2018.12
5. Fundamental Research Funds from Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 6141A02033233, 2019.1-2020.12
6. Shuguang Program of Shanghai Education Development Foundation and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, 23SG29,
2024.1-2025.12.
7. Shanghai Rising-Star Program, 18QA1400200, 2018.4-2021.3
8. Shanghai Scientific and Technological Innovation Project, 22520714500, 2022.7-2024.6
9. National Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, 17ZR1439900, 2017.5-2020.4
10. Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, 2023.1-2025.12
11. Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, 2016.1-2018.12
12. Funds for Talents of State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, 2015.5-2017.12
13. Special Funds for High-Level Talents Project of Donghua University, 2015.5-2018.12
14. Innovation Funds for Material Discipline, Donghua University, 2018.10-2020.9
