Visiting Project Scientist Assistant Position (w/out Salary)

Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Muqing Si ()

Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences No.1219

Zhongguan West Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315201, P.R. China

Phone: (+86) 17775211956, E-mail: simuqing@nimte.ac.cn

Personal Statement A dictated, diligent PhD student who have developed particular interests in

smart polymeric materials. Having experiences in leading and engaging research project and

publishing high- level scientific research articles. A trusted collaborator in laboratory, willing

to devote and share, and also a confident presenter at conferences, able to explain and

communicate.

Education Ph.D. student in Science, Chemistry and physics of Polymers 2019-present

University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), China

Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy Sciences (CAS),

China

Advisor: Wei Lu, Professor, NIMTE; Tao Chen, Professor, NIMTE GPA: 3.83

BA in Engineering, Polymer material and engineering 2015-2019

Anhui University of Science and Technology (AUST), China GPA: 3.91

Advisor: Prof. Guojun Cheng

Research Interest I have particular interests in developing multi-functional fluorescent smart

polymer materials which has synergetic multi-level stimuli-responsive abilities, and their

potential applications for food examination, toxic matter detection, medical indicators and beyond.

Research Experience 2022-present: Investigation into self-sustained soft oscillator.

Ph.D. degree research project, supervised by Prof. Wei Lu and Prof. Tao Chen.

Making satisfying progress and has derived several exciting research topics.

2020-2021: Study into multi-color smart polymeric membrane

Develop in-depth understanding of supramolecular materials and gain enormous interest in smart

materials during the process.

Presented and awarded at several academic conferences through posters and oral

presentations.

Results published on Mater. Chem. Front., Cell Rep. Phys. Sci. (Top 10 material science papers

of 2021, Cell press), Acc. Chem. Res. (cover) and widely reported by international scientific

medias.

2018-2019: Research into SBS/montmorillonite nanocomposites, National College Student Innovation

and Entrepreneurship Program, head

Undergraduate research project proceeded under the supervision of Prof. Guojun Cheng and awarded

as excellent graduation thesis

Assigned as leader and successfully gained 20,000 RMB research funding support from

National College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program.

Results published on Journal of Materials Science and Engineering.

Selected Honors & Awards

First prize Scholarship, UCAS, 2022. Merit Students, UCAS, 2022.

Excellent graduation thesis, AUST, 2019. Outstanding graduates, AUST, 2019.

First prize Scholarship, AUST, 2018, 2019.

Scholarship of Zijin Science and Technology, first place, 2019.

Third prize of National English Competition for College Students, 2017, 2019.

Academic Exchanges

National Polymer Academic Paper Conference, 2021, Beijing, China. (Poster)

4th Polymer Youth Academic Forum Division, 2021, Ningbo, China. (Oral report, Third prize).

11st National Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Student Forum, 2021, Wuhan, China.

(Oral report, Excellent Report Award).

12nd National Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Student Forum, 2022, Wuhan, China.

(Oral report, Excellent Report Award).

Macromolecular Rapid Communications Online Poster Awards, 2022, online (Poster,

Excellence prize).

The 18 Chinese Conference on Colloid and Interface Chemistry, 2023, Xi'an, China (Poster).

Publications

M. Si,# H. Shi,# W. Lu,* T. Chen* et al., Optimizing supramolecular fluorescent materials with

responsive multi-color tunability toward soft biomimetic skins, Mater. Chem. Front. 2021, 5,

5130-5141.

G. Lin,# M. Si,# Tao Chen* et al., Dual-channel flexible strain sensors based on

mechanofluorescent and conductive hydrogel laminates, Adv. Optical Mater. 2022, 10, 2102306.

(Co-first author)

W. Lu,# R. Wang,# M. Si, # Tao Chen* et al. Synergistic fluorescent hydrogel actuators with

selective spatial shape/color-changing behaviors via interfacial supramolecular assembly. SmartMat.

2023, e1190. (Co-first author)

W. Lu, M. Si, T. Chen* et al., A panther chameleon skin-inspired core@shell supramolecular

hydrogel with spatially organized multi-luminogens enables programmable color change, Cell

Reports Physical Science 2021, 2, 100417.

W. Lu, M. Si, T. Chen* et al., Mimicking color-changing organisms to enable the multicolors and

multifunctions of smart fluorescent polymeric hydrogels, Acc. Chem. Res.

2022, 16, 2291-2303.

H. Shi, S. Wu, M. Si, S. Wei, G. Lin, H. Liu, W. Xie, W. Lu,* and Tao Chen*, Cephalopod-

inspired design of photomechanically modulated display systems for on-demand fluorescent

patterning, Adv. Mater. 2022, 34, 2107452.

H. Liu, S. Wei, H. Qiu, M. Si, G. Lin, Z. Lei, W. Lu,* L. Zhou,* and T. Chen*, Supramolecular

hydrogel with orthogonally responsive r/g/b fluorophores enables multi- color switchable biomimetic

soft skins, Adv. Funct. Mater. 2022, 32, 2108830.

H. Shang#, X. Le*#, M. Si, S. Wu, Y. Peng, F. Shan, S. Wu and T. Chen* et al., Biomimetic

organohydrogel actuator with high response speed and synergistic fluorescent variation, Chem. Eng.

J. 2022, 429, 13229.

S. Wu, H. Shi, W. Lu,* S. Wei, H. Shang, H. Liu, M. Si, X. Le, G. Yin, P. Theato, and T. Chen*,

Aggregation induced emissive carbon dots gels for octopus-inspired shape/color synergistically

adjustable actuator, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2021, 60, 21890.

G. Yin, J. Huang, D. Liu, R. Li, S. Wei, M. Si, F. Ni, Y. Zheng, Q. Yang, R. Zhou,* X. Le,*

W. Lu, T. Chen*, Mechanochemical transformation of fluorescent hydrogel based ondynamic

lanthanide-terpyridine coordination, Chin. Chem. Lett. 2023, 463, 142307.

S. An#, X. Zhang#, M. Si, H. Shi, P. Wei, J. Shen,* W. Lu,* T. Chen, Self-healing, tough,

red-to-near-infrared (NIR) luminescent organohydrogels derived from supramolecular assemblies of

common aggregation-induced emissive luminogens, Chem. Eng. J. 2023, 463, 142307.

Cover Letter (Optional)

Statement of Research - Research Plan

Topic: Synergetic shape morphing and color changing soft hydrogel actuators for testing and

gripping

Introduction:

Stimuli-responsive hydrogels are appealing with their merits of large volume change and high-water

conte (low solid/polymer fraction), which make the mechanical and many properties of hydrogel

different fro solid/dry polymers, and swell and contract via absorbing and releasing water in and

out their network (i.e osmotic-driven) upon environmental cues [e.g., temperature, pH, and light].

Their excellent softness, elasticit deformability, biocompatibility, stimulus diversity, and

permeability (secure diffusion of oxygen, nutrient metabolites, and cells enabling) have promoted

their broad application in tissue engineering, soft electronic miniaturized soft robotics and

actuators, biomedicine, and mechano-therapeutic wound dressings. Howeve most of state-of-art

hydrogel actuators can only demonstrate a single response once they are stimulate Synergetic

responsive behaviors are expected to accomplish multiple tasks, including sensing, morphin

indicating, color switching, at the same time for higher-level intelligence.

The applicant has abundant experience in fluorescent material design and the team of Prof Ximin He

ha profound results in constructing hydrogel actuators. Thus, the applicant planning to combine the

hydrog actuators with fluorescent materials to achieve synergetic color changing and shape

morphing. Such hydrog actuators with synergetic functions can be used as surgical grippers and

transporters for delicate objects an provide indication for the users for basic physical

(temperature, humidity) and chemical (including toxicity, pH oxidability) properties of the object.

Such synergetic responsive can be utilized to provide the users with instin property information of

the targets for self-protection and quick judgement, especially while the actuator wa utilized in

surgeries and unknown spaces.

Major plan:

i. Synthesis of the fluorophore

Naphthalimide (NI) luminogens is a novel plantform for novel fluorescent molecules with wide

adjustab emission properties. Different from well-known AIE-active TPE fluorophores, the

fluorescence nature of N luminogens depends on their chemical structures. Interestingly,

substitution of NI molecules especially with rigi and bulky groups is favorable to disturbing their

planarity to produce propeller-shaped molecular conformation which can significantly restrict

H-aggregation and thus transform planar aggregation-caused-quenching (ACQ fluorophores into

aggregation-induced-emission units (AIEgens). This strategy, which potentially resolves th ACQ

hurdle of NI molecules by well-designed structural substitution, has been employed by many researc

groups and significantly extended their potential applications. The applicant planing to introduce

rigid phenox groups onto NI core in order to break its planarity to produce desirable

propeller-shaped molecular conformatio and further render PhAN AIE nature.

ii. fabrication of the hydrogel actuator with synergetic shape morphing and color-switching

behavior.

The afore-designed PhAN monomer will be introduced into hydrogel network through redical

co-polymerizatio with N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and certain amount of purified aniline,

crosslinker and initiator i

deionized water to obtain the hydrogel. The formula, temperature and near-infrared responsiveness

of th hydrogel will be systematically investigated in order to give optimal actuation performance.

The fluoresce property would also be investigated to give full comprehension of it property.

iii. construction of the gripper and application exploration

the hydrogel actuator would be molded and assembled to give hydrogel-based soft gripper. Its

dimension an synergetic response ability would be adjusted. The application potential would be

demonstrated in simulate circumstances.

Major goal:

i. Accomplishing the aforementioned major plan.

ii Systematically organize the data and publish 1-2 SCI articles.

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