Living systems provide unlimited source of inspiration by their complex responses, regulation, dissipation of energy, adaptive behaviors, and feedback control. My research on life-inspired soft matter focuses on emergent properties in soft matter (particularly hydrogels) across length scales, from nanometer to macroscopic, and their application in light-driven soft systems.
Research Topics
I. Novel design and emerging properties in hydrogels
A. Eklund, S. Hu, Y. Fang, H. Savolainen, H. Pi, H. Zeng, A. Priimagi, O. Ikkala, Hang Zhang*, Bright and switchable whiteness in macro-crosslinked hydrogels. Advanced Optical Materials. 2023, 2302487.
A. Eklund, O. Ikkala* , H. Zhang* , Highly efficient switchable underwater adhesion in channeled hydrogel networks. Advanced Functional Materials. 2023, 2214091.
S. Hu, Y. Fang, C. Liang, M. Turunen, O. Ikkala*, H. Zhang*, Thermally trainable dual network hydrogels. Nature Communications, 2023, 14, 3717.
A. Eklund, H. Zhang*, H. Zeng, A. Priimagi, O. Ikkala*, Fast switching of bright whiteness in channeled hydrogel networks. Advanced Functional Materials. 2020, 30, 2000754.
II. Life-inspired functionalities in soft systems
H. Zhang, H. Zeng, A. Eklund, H. Guo, A. Priimagi, O. Ikkala, Feedback-controlled hydrogels with homeostatic oscillations and dissipative signal transduction. Nature Nanotechnology. 2022, 17, 1303.
H. Zhang, H. Zeng, A. Priimagi, O. Ikkala, Pavlovian materials—Functional biomimetics inspired by classical conditioning. Advanced Materials. 2020, 32, 1906619.
III. Light-driven soft systems
H. Zhang, L. Koens, E. Lauga, A. Mourran, M. Möller, A light‐driven microgel rotor. Small. 2019, 15, 1903379.
H. Zhang, A. Mourran, M. Möller, Dynamic switching of helical microgel ribbons. Nano Letters. 2017, 17, 3, 2010–2014.
A. Mourran, H. Zhang, R. Vinokur, M. Möller, Soft microrobots employing nonequilibrium actuation via plasmonic heating. Advanced Materials. 2017, 29, 1604825.
IV. Light-controlled nanomaterials
V. Linko, H. Zhang, Nonappa, M. A. Kostiainen, O. Ikkala, From precision colloidal hybrid materials to advanced functional assemblies. Acc. Chem. Res. 2022, 55, 13, 1785–1795.
H. Zhang, H. Zeng, A. Priimagi, O. Ikkala, Programmable responsive hydrogels inspired by classical conditioning algorithm. Nature Communications. 2019, 10, 3267.
H. Zhang*, M. Junaid, K. Liu, R. H. A. Ras, O. Ikkala*, Light-induced reversible hydrophobization of cationic gold nanoparticles via electrostatic adsorption of a photoacid. Nanoscale. 2019, 11, 14118-14122.