Soft Matter Lab
@CityU
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Recent Publication
2026
46. Boosting the Efficiency and Mechanical Stability of Organic Solar Cells Through a Polymer Acceptor by Reducing the Elastic Modulus
Yan Wang (Co-first Author), Han Yu* (Co-first Author), Dan Zhao (Co-first Author), Wei Liu (Co-first Author), Baoze Liu, Xin Wu, Danpeng Gao, Dong Zhang, Shoufeng Zhang, Xianglang Sun, Chunlei Zhang, Chaoyue Zhao, Yuchen Fu, Wei Song, Shaokuan Gong, Yuang Fu, Chung Hang Kwok, Ziyi Ge, Xinhui Lu, Xihan ChenShuang Xiao, Wai-Yeung Wong, Yu Chai*, He Yan*, Zonglong Zhu*
Advanced Energy Materials, (2026), Link
45. In-situ Damascus-patterning enables tunable surface electric fields for bioactive titanium implants
Hanyang Yu (Co-first Author), Nan Hou (Co-first Author), Subrahmanyam Pattamatta, Sien Lin, Shi-ting Chen, Weixi Wu, Fenghui Duan, Youneng Xie, Xuliang Chen, Yunchen Long, Gan Li, Yuhan Chen, Siyao Chen, Yicheng Han, Xiaojiao You, Zhuoyuan Li, Yu Chai, Gang Li*, Jian Lu*
Bioactive Materials, (2026), Link
44. Solid-Like yet Reconfigurable 3D-Printed Liquid Tubular Wires From Nonconductive Molecules
Yuchen Fu, Weixi Wu, Wei Chen, Jiangang Zhang, Biyu Jin, Sai Zhao, Yu Chai*
Advanced Science, (2026), Link
43. Structured liquid-based reconfigurable all-liquid optical fibers
Sai Zhao (Co-first Author), Yufeng Wang (Co-first Author), Xinke Tang, Jiangang Zhang, Weixi Wu, Yuchen Fu, Sai Tak Chu, Yang Ren, Xubo Liu*, Xun Guan*, Thomas P. Russell*, Yu Chai*
Nature Communications, (2026), Link
2025
43. Magnetic Janus Particles: Synthesis and Multifunctional Applications
Xuemei Tan, Yuhang Song, Chuchu Wan, Caili Huang*, Yu Chai*, Zhenzhong Yang*
Macromolecular Rapid Communication (2025), Link
42. Self-lubricated bouncing of hot droplets
Yufang Liu (Co-first Author), Yutong Zheng (Co-first Author), Ying Zhou, Wenchang Zhao, Yanhong Li, Shuxian Tang, Chao Wang, Shiyu Wang, Yu Chai*, Pingan Zhu*
Newton (2025), Link
41. Surface Mobility of a Glass-Forming Polymer in an Ionic Liquid
Xinyu Zhang, Christian Pedersen, Haoqi Zhu, Siming Wang, Yuchen Fu, Liang Dai, Andreas Carlson, Thomas Salez*, Yu Chai*
Macromolecules, (2025), Link
2024
40. Chaperone solvent-assisted assembly of polymers at the interface of two immiscible liquids
Sai Zhao, Yongkang Jiang, Yuchen Fu, Wei Chen, Qinrong Zhang, Liulin He, Changxiong Huang*, Yao Liu*, Xiao Cheng Zeng*, Yu Chai*
Nature Communications, (2024), Link
39. Screening Vertically Polarized 2D Layered Materials with Giant Negative Longitudinal Piezoelectricity by Comprehensive Calculations and Experimental Characterizations
Xinfeng Chen, Zhenqi Wang, Zhuomin Zhang, Weixi Wu, Yu Chai, Gaoyang Gou*, Zhengbao Yang*, Xiao Cheng Zeng*
Advanced Functional Materials, (2024), Link
38. Reconfigurable aqueous 3D printing with adaptive dual locks
Yuchen Fu, Li Zhiyong, Zhao Sai, Hou Honghao, Yu Chai*
Science Advances, (2024), Link
37. Self-assembly of nanoparticles with stimulated responses at liquid interfaces
Yuchen Fu, Sai Zhao, Wei Chen, Qinrong Zhang*, Yu Chai*
Nano Today, (2024), Link
2023
36. Liquid interfaces: an emerging platform for energy conversion and harvesting
Sai Zhao, Yuchen Fu, Haowu Cao, Yu Chai*
J. Mater. Chem. A, (2023), Link
35. Using Aggregation to Chaperon NPs Across Fluid Interfaces
Yuchen FU, Sai Zhao, Yulong Fan, Ho Yannis Yan Lum, Yufeng Wang, Dangyuan Lei, Peiyang Gu, Thomas P. Russell, Yu Chai*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2023), Link
34. Active self-assembly of piezoelectric biomolecular films via synergistic nanoconfinement and in-situ poling
Zhuomin Zhang, Xuemu Li, Zehua Peng, Xiaodong Yan, Shiyuan Liu, Ying Hong, Yao Shan, Xiaote Xu, Lihan Jin, Bingren Liu, Xinyu Zhang, Yu Chai, Shujun Zhang*, Alex K-Y Jen*, Zhengbao Yang*
Nat. Commun. (2023), Link
2022
32. T-phage inspired piezoelectric microrobot
Yuanyi Wang, Biao Wang, Yanhu Zhang, Lei Wei, Yu Chai, Zuankai Wang, Zhengbao Yang*
International Journal of Mechanical Sciences,(2022), Link
31. Bioactive NAD+ Regeneration Promoted by Multimetallic Nanoparticles Based on Graphene–Polymer Nanolayers
Xiangming Li, Qi An*, Zequn Ma, Yi Zhang, Xingyuan Chen, Yu Chai*, Meng Fu*
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, (2022), Link
30. Aquabots
Shipei Zhu, Ganhua Xie, Huanqing Cui, Qingchuan Li, Joe Forth, Shuai Yuan, Jingxuan Tian, Yi Pan, Wei Guo, Yu Chai, Yage Zhang, Zhenyu Yang, Ryan Wing Hei Yu, Yafeng Yu, Sihan Liu, Youchuang Chao, Yinan Shen, Sai Zhao, Thomas P Russell*, Ho Cheung Shum*
ACS nano, (2022), Link
29. Shape-Reconfigurable Ferrofluids
Sai Zhao, Jun-Yan Zhang, Yuchen Fu, Shipei Zhu, Ho Cheung Shum, Xubo Liu, Zhaoyu Wang, Ruquan Ye, Ben Zhong Tang, Thomas P Russell*, Yu Chai*
Nano Letter, (2022), Link
28. Van der Waals Exfoliation Processed Biopiezoelectric Submucosa Ultrathin Films
Zhuomin Zhang, Shiyuan Liu, Qiqi Pan, Ying Hong, Yao Shan, Zehua Peng, Xiaote Xu, Bingren Liu, Yu Chai, Zhengbao Yang*
Advanced Materials, 2200864, (2022), Link
27. Recycling plastic waste into multifunctional superhydrophobic textiles
Qinglang Ma, Zhiying Wu, Vlad Andrei Neacșu, Sai Zhao, Yu Chai, Hua Zhang*
Nano Research, 1-5, (2022), Link
26. Visualizing Assembly Dynamics of All‐Liquid 3D Architectures
Pei‐Yang Gu, Paul Y Kim, Yu Chai, Paul D Ashby, Qing‐Feng Xu, Feng Liu, Qun Chen, Jian‐Mei Lu, Thomas P Russell*
Small,18(6), 2105017. (2022), Link
2021
25. The Buckling Spectra of Nanoparticle Surfactant Assemblies
Joe Forth, Andres Mariano, Yu Chai, Anju Toor, Jaffar Hasnain, Yufeng Jiang, Wenqian Feng, Xubo Liu, Phillip L Geissler, Narayanan Menon, Brett A Helms, Paul D Ashby, Thomas P Russell*
Nano Letters, 21, 7116, (2021), Link
24. Visualizing Interfacial Jamming Using an Aggregation‐Induced‐Emission Molecular Reporter
Pei‐Yang Gu#, Feng Zhou#, Ganhua Xie#, Paul Y Kim, Yu Chai, Qin Hu, Shaowei Shi, Qing‐Feng Xu, Feng Liu, Jian‐Mei Lu*, Thomas P Russell*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 60, 8694, (2021), Link
23. Ferromagnetic liquid droplets with adjustable magnetic properties
Xuefei Wu, Robert Streubel*, Xubo Liu, Paul Y Kim, Yu Chai, Qin Hu, Dong Wang*, Peter Fischer, Thomas P Russell*
PNAS, 118, e2017355118, (2021), Link
22. Surfactant‐Induced Interfacial Aggregation of Porphyrins for Structuring Color‐Tunable Liquids
Pei‐Yang Gu, Ganhua Xie, Paul Y Kim, Yu Chai, Xuefei Wu, Yufeng Jiang, Qing‐Feng Xu, Feng Liu, Jian‐Mei Lu*, Thomas P Russell*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 60, 2871, (2021), Link
2020
21. Direct observation of nanoparticle-surfactant assembly and jamming at the water-oil interface
Yu Chai, Jaffar Hasnain, Kushaan Bahl, Matthew Wong, Dong Li, Phillip Geissler, Paul Y Kim, Yufeng Jiang, Peiyang Gu, Siqi Li, Dangyuan Lei, Brett A Helms, Thomas P Russell*, Paul D Ashby*
Science Advances 6, eabb8675, (2020), Link
(Highlight: Azo Optics, Technology Networks, Chem Europe, Bionity, Newswise, Science Daily, Azo Nano, Nanowerk, ScenMag, Phys.org, etc. )
20. Using Mw Dependence of Surface Dynamics of Glassy Polymers to Probe the Length Scale of Free- Surface Mobility
Yu Chai, Thomas Salez, James A Forrest*
Macromolecules 53, 1084-1089, (2020), Link
2019
19. Compartmentalized, all-aqueous flow-through-coordinated reaction systems
Ganhua Xie, Joe Forth, Yu Chai, Paul D Ashby, Brett A Helms, Thomas P Russell*
Chem 5, 2678-2690, (2019), Link
18. Mechanical properties of solidifying assemblies of nanoparticle surfactants at the oil–water interface
Anju Toor#, Joe Forth#, Simone Bochner de Araujo, Maria Consiglia Merola, Yufeng Jiang, Xubo Liu, Yu Chai, Honghao Hou, Paul D Ashby, Gerald G Fuller, Thomas P Russell*
Langmuir 35, 13340, (2019), Link
17. Stabilizing Liquids Using Interfacial Supramolecular Polymerization
Pei‐Yang Gu#, Yu Chai#, Honghao Hou, Ganhua Xie, Yufeng Jiang, Qing‐Feng Xu, Feng Liu*, Paul D Ashby, Jian‐Mei Lu*, Thomas P Russell*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 58, 12112, (2019), Link
16. Reconfigurable ferromagnetic liquid droplets
Xubo Liu, Noah Kent, Alejandro Ceballos, Robert Streubel, Yufeng Jiang, Yu Chai, Paul Y Kim, Joe Forth, Frances Hellman, Shaowei Shi, Dong Wang, Brett A Helms, Paul D Ashby, Peter Fischer, Thomas P Russell*
Science 365, 264, (2019), Link
15. Harnessing liquid-in-liquid printing and micropatterned substrates to fabricate 3-dimensional all-liquid fluidic devices
Wenqian Feng, Yu Chai, Joe Forth, Paul D Ashby, Thomas P Russell, Brett A Helms*
Nature Communications 10, 1085, (2019), Link
14. Assessing pair interaction potentials of nanoparticles on liquid interfaces
Paul Y Kim, Yige Gao, Yu Chai, Paul D Ashby, Alexander E Ribbe, David A Hoagland*, Thomas P Russell*
ACS Nano 13, 3075, (2019), Link
2018
13. Guiding kinetic trajectories between jammed and unjammed states in 2D colloidal nanocrystal-polymer assemblies with zwitterionic ligands
Ziyi Zhang, Yufeng Jiang, Caili Huang, Yu Chai, Elise Goldfine, Feng Liu, Wenqian Feng, Joe Forth, Teresa E Williams, Paul D Ashby, Thomas P Russell*, Brett A Helms*
Science Advances 4, eaap8045, (2018), Link
12. The interfacial assembly of polyoxometalate nanoparticle surfactants
Caili Huang, Yu Chai, Yufeng Jiang, Joe Forth, Paul D Ashby, Matthias ML Arras, Kunlun Hong, Gregory S Smith, Panchao Yin*, Thomas P Russell*
Nano Letters 18, 2525-2529, (2018), Link
11. Using atomic force microscopy to probe crystallization in atactic polystyrenes
Yu Chai, James A Forrest*
Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 219, 1700466, (2018), Link
10. Crystallization of low molecular weight atactic polystyrene
Yu Chai, Adam N Raegen, Shipei Zhu, James A Forrest*
Soft matter 14, 6883-6891, (2018), Link
9. Direct measurements of the temperature, depth and processing dependence of phenyl ring dynamics in polystyrene thin films by β-detected NMR
Iain McKenzie*, Yu Chai, David L Cortie, James A Forrest, Derek Fujimoto, Victoria L Karner, Robert F Kiefl, CD Philip Levy, W Andrew MacFarlane, Ryan ML McFadden, Gerald D Morris, Matthew R Pearson, Shipei Zhu
Soft Matter 14, 7324, (2018), Link
2017
8. Fine-tuning nanoparticle packing at water–oil interfaces using ionic strength
Yu Chai, Alysia Lukito, Yufeng Jiang, Paul D Ashby*, Thomas P Russell*
Nano Letters 17, 6453, (2017), Link
7. Carboxylated fullerene at the oil/water interface
Rongqiang Li, Yu Chai, Yufeng Jiang, Paul D Ashby, Anju Toor, Thomas P Russell*
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 9, 34389, (2017), Link
6. Evaporative purification to produce highly monodisperse polymers: Application to polystyrene for n = 3 -13 and quantification of Tg from oligomer to polymer
S Zhu, Y Chai, JA Forrest*
Physical Review Materials 1, 025605, (2017), Link
5. 50th Anniversary Perspective: Putting the Squeeze on Polymers: A Perspective on Polymer Thin Films and Interfaces
Thomas P Russell*, Yu Chai
Macromolecules 50, 4597, (2017), Link
2016
4. Measuring the solubility of solids in non-solvents: case of polystyrene in alkanes
F-Y Lin, WSR Forrest, CR Daley, Y Chai, JA Forrest*
The European Physical Journal E 39, 99, (2016), Link
3. Nanoporous polystyrene prepared via the selective removal of the low M w component in polystyrene blends
Fan-Yen Lin, Chad Daley, Jeremy Flannery, Sonia Zhang, Yu Chai, James A Forrest*
Polymer Journal 48, 983, (2016), Link
2014
2. A direct quantitative measure of surface mobility in a glassy polymer
Yu Chai, Thomas Salez, Joshua D McGraw, Michael Benzaquen, Kari Dalnoki-Veress, Elie Raphaël, James A Forrest*
Science 343 (6174), 994, (2014), Link
(Highlight: Phy.org, Technology.org, Innovation Report, R&D, Science Daily, Nanowerk, etc.)
2013
1. Molecular weight dependence of near surface dynamical mechanical properties of polymers
D Qi, CR Daley, Y Chai, JA Forrest*
Soft Matter 9, 8958, (2013), Link
Book Chapters
Bijels the Easy Way
Joe Forth, Anju Toor, Yu Chai, Caili Huang, Xubo Liu, Wenqian Feng, Shaowei Shi, Dong Wang, Paul D Ashby, Brett A Helms, Thomas P Russell
RSC Soft Matter (2020)
