Programmable materials for soft actuators and sensors with augmented functionalities

Guest Speaker: Prof. LEE Pooi See, Vice President &Chair Professor, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Date & Time:14:00-15:30, 3. March, 2026

Location:  Hall 100, Materials Innovation Building 

 Inviter:Prof. Ke CHEN

 Biography

Prof. Pooi See LEE is the President’s Chair Professor in Materials Science & Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

Her current research focuses on stretchable elastomeric composites for electronics and energy devices, human-machine interface, sensors and actuators and soft robotics and health tech. Professor Lee received the Nanyang Research Award in 2016 and the Nanyang Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award in 2018. She was awarded the NRF Investigatorship, Class of 2016. Her research outcomes have led to her being listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics in 2018-2025. She was elected the National Academy of Inventors Fellow in 2020, MRS Fellow 2022 and RSC Fellow 2022. She won the SNIC - AsCA2019 Distinguished Woman Chemist Award 2022. She is the Senior Editor of ACS Energy Letters and serves on the editorial advisory board for several journals. She served as the Associate Provost (Graduate Education) and Dean of the Graduate College at NTU from 2020 to 2023, before her current appointment as the Vice President (International Engagement).

Abstract：

Programmable functional nanocomposites play a critical role in the development of high-performance soft actuators and sensors applications which are attractive for soft electronics, soft robotics and wearables. This talk focuses on our design strategies, synthetic approaches and actuation mechanism in realizing functional electronic and ionic composites inspired by natural organisms. These soft and flexible materials and devices can be triggered by different stimuli such as light, electricity or electrochemical potential to deliver responsive and active functionalities. Stretchable elastomers are developed for dielectric elastomer actuators. While 2D MXenes are ideal nanoreactors with interlayer galleries, they facilitate co‐insertion/desertion of ions during applied potential, leading to soft actuation. In addition, we explore electrochemically triggered ionic actuation in nanocomposite electrodes. These soft actuators and sensors are promising for applications in smart grippers, bioinspired robotics, and human-machine interface.