Dr. TANG Jinyao has developed a novel type of light-responsive active colloidal material that achieves controllable photoinduced “phase separation”, leading to significant breakthroughs with potential applications in display technology and optical stealth materials. This advancement also contributes to the development of the fundamental theory behind light-controlled active materials and chemically driven micro/nano motors. In 2022, he developed a cluster system of nanorobots.
TANG Jinyao is an Associate Professor of the Chemistry department at The University of Hong Kong. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemical physics from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2003, before pursuing his Ph.D. in Chemistry at Columbia University where he studied molecular electronics, nanomaterials, and nanofluidic devices, and graduated in 2008. Following this, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, focusing on energy material research, and then he joined The University of Hong Kong in 2012. Dr. TANG’s research primarily centers around active soft materials, including nanorobots, light-induced actuation, surface electrodynamics, and responsive material, and his expertise spans the fields of nanofabrication, material functionalization, fundamental active matter theory, and application.
Active matter systems represent a new and exciting subject of condensed matter, where the building blocks are inherently out-of-equilibrium. Dr. TANG's work in this field has been extensive, ranging from the development of new active particles to the investigation of fundamental energy conversion mechanisms, collective assembly, and emerging functional material applications. In his research, equilibrium and non-equilibrium physics are studied experimentally and new emergent physical properties in active systems are explored, such as collective motion and collective intelligence, through the clever design of chemical systems that bridge traditional chemistry and active colloidal material. From a technological point of view, the introduction of active systems to colloidal science has significantly broadened the potential applications and impact. One exciting area of research in this field is the development of nanorobot-based smart drug delivery systems, which has long been a vision in nanoscience. While much more work and breakthroughs are needed to fully realise the potential of smart nanorobot systems, Dr. TANG's research has made significant strides towards this goal. For example, he has elucidated how to effectively generate nanoparticle propulsion in biological fluids and how to create collective motion in active nanoparticle swarms. In addition, he has also demonstrated the use of photo-responsive colloidal swarms and utilised them as new photochromic materials. This represents a brand-new direction for the application of active colloidal materials beyond biomedical applications, which is expected to stimulate a new wave of active material research, adding new value to emerging applications.