Leitao Cao

About

Leitao Cao is pioneering the frontier of bioinspired ionotronic skins, merging silk fibroin with advanced nanomaterials to create artificial skins that mimic human tactile and motion sensing. Her key research areas span ionotronic materials, flexible electronics, and intelligent robotics, with a focus on safety and multifunctionality. Her most cited work, "Electro‐Blown Spun Silk/Graphene Nanoionotronic Skin for Multifunctional Fire Protection and Alarm" (2021, 104 citations), introduces a groundbreaking artificial skin that not only senses touch but also provides flame retardancy and fire alarm capabilities—addressing a critical safety gap in robotics. She further advanced the field with "An Artificial Motion and Tactile Receptor Constructed by Hyperelastic Double Physically Cross‐Linked Silk Fibroin Ionoelastomer" (2023, 40 citations), developing a humanoid ionotronic receptor that closely replicates human skin's composition and mechanics. Her "Humanoid Ionotronic Skin for Smart Object Recognition and Sorting" (2022, 30 citations) demonstrates practical application, enabling robot hands to identify objects through touch. With over 180 cumulative citations, Cao’s work is driving the next generation of safe, intelligent, and human-like robotic interfaces, positioning her as a rising leader in soft electronics and human-machine interaction.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Electro‐Blown Spun Silk/Graphene Nanoionotronic Skin for Multifunctional Fire Protection and Alarm

   104 citations · 2021
2. 2
   An Artificial Motion and Tactile Receptor Constructed by Hyperelastic Double Physically Cross‐Linked Silk Fibroin Ionoelastomer

   40 citations · 2023
3. 3
   Humanoid Ionotronic Skin for Smart Object Recognition and Sorting

   30 citations · 2022
4. 4
   Understanding the mechanical “shakedown” of hydrogel ionotronics for realizing their highly functional stability

   7 citations · 2022

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links