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About

Xi Yao is a pioneering researcher in the field of advanced soft materials, with a primary focus on stretchable polymers, hydrogels, and bioinspired sensors. His most significant contribution is the development of stretchable materials that achieve a rare combination of high toughness and low hysteresis—a breakthrough that addresses a critical challenge in engineering applications requiring materials that can endure cyclic loads without dissipating excessive energy. This work, published in 2019, has garnered over 420 citations, underscoring its profound impact on the design of durable, fatigue-resistant materials for soft robotics and wearable devices. Yao has also made notable strides in polysaccharide-based hydrogels, demonstrating how polymer architecture can be tuned to impart self-healing and tunable properties, with applications in sustainable sensors and actuators. His recent work includes a biomimetic piezoresistive sensor featuring a “shell-core” nanostructure inspired by natural scales, achieving high sensitivity. Additionally, Yao has explored smart hydrogels that respond to multiple stimuli, such as light and pH, through copolymerization with spiropyran, enabling shape-morphing in diverse environments. His research consistently bridges fundamental polymer science with practical device engineering, offering innovative solutions for next-generation soft electronics and adaptive materials.