17758013020 Chen Chen
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17816169069 Jinglin Jian
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Lizhi Xu
Lizhi Xu is currently an assistant professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong. He obtained his B.S. degree (2009) in Applied Physics from Beihang University (advisor: Prof. Guang-Hong Lu), and his Ph.D. degree (2014) in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (advisor: Prof. John A. Rogers). He worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan from 2015 to 2018 (advisor: Prof. Nicholas A. Kotov) before joining The University of Hong Kong. His research interests involve biomimetic materials, soft electronics, biomedical devices, and micro-/nanofabrication. Since establishing his independent research team at HKU, Lizhi Xu has published a series of research papers in Nature Communications, Science Advances, Advanced Materials, etc., as the leading corresponding author. He recently received the 2023 Microsystem & Nanoengineering Young Scientist Award recognizing his independent research accomplishments on biomimetic materials and bio-integrated devices.
Biomimetic Microfibrillar Networks for Soft Bioelectronics, Tissue Engineering, and Beyond
Lizhi Xu*
* Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China (xulizhi@hku.hk)
Abstract
Microfibrillar networks are essential structures in natural biological tissues, which exhibit a combination of mechanical flexibility, fracture resistance, and mass permeability to enable many important physiological functions. Inspired by natural soft tissues, we exploit biomimetic microfibrillar networks as building blocks for the construction of a variety of bio-integrated soft devices. A key component in these materials and devices is aramid nanofiber (ANF). With appropriate solvent-based processing steps and interaction with other polymers, the ANFs self-organize into hyperconnective networks, which capture some of the key features of load-bearing soft tissues. They also exhibit tissue-mimetic physical properties and microstructural reconfigurability, which are beneficial for device applications. The composites can be functionalized with bioactive molecules or soft electronic components for interfacing with cells and tissues. In this presentation, I will introduce some of our recent works ranging from electroconductive hydrogels and wearable devices to theoretical modeling and meso-structural designs. These works address the fundamental physical mismatches between biomedical devices and biological soft tissues, paving the way for the development of advanced wearable human-machine interfaces, implantable electronics, tissue engineering platforms, and other biomedical systems.
References
[1] M. Sun†, H. Li†, Y. Hou, N. Huang, X. Xia, H. Zhu, Q. Xu, Y. Lin, and L. Xu* Science Advances 2023, 9: eade697.
[2] H. He†, H. Li†, A. Pu, W. Li, K. Ban, and L. Xu* Nature Communications 2023, 14: 759.
[3] H. Liu†, H. Li†, Z. Wang†, X. Wei, H. Zhu, M. Sun, Y. Lin, and L. Xu* Advanced Materials 2022, 34: 2207350.
[4] H. He†, X. Wei†, B. Yang, H. Liu, M. Sun, Y. Li, A. Yan, C.Y. Tang, Y. Lin*, and L. Xu* Nature Communications 2022, 13: 4242
