Yanlei Yu is a Distinguished Professor at Fudan University, Executive Dean of the School of Smart Materials and Future Energy, and a Principal Investigator (PI) at the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers. She is a recipient of the Special Government Allowance of the State Council, a Changjiang Distinguished Professor appointed by the Ministry of Education, and a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. Professor Yu is also recognized as a Leading Talent of the National Ten Thousand Talents Program, a Fellow of the Chinese Chemical Society (CCS), and a Council Member of the Chinese Materials Research Society (C-MRS).Professor Yu graduated from Anhui University in 1993 and obtained her Master's degree from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 1996, joining the faculty at Fudan University in the same year. She later received her Ph.D. from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, in 2004.With over two decades of dedication to the research of smart polymer materials, she has pioneered the development of photodeformable liquid crystal polymers and their flexible devices, achieving a series of innovative breakthroughs in entirely light-controlled microfluidic devices and soft actuators. She has published over 100 academic papers in prestigious journals such as Nature, J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., and Adv. Mater., with her work cited over 10,000 times by peers. Additionally, she holds 20 authorized Chinese national invention patents and 1 international PCT patent.Her contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the CCS-Evonik Chemical Innovation Award (Outstanding Scientist). As the primary contributor, she was twice awarded the First Prize of the Shanghai Natural Science Award (in 2018 and 2024), and received the First Prize of the C-MRS Science and Technology Award (Basic Research) in 2025. She serves as an Associate Editor for the European Polymer Journal, Smart Molecules, and the Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, as well as an Advisory Board Member for journals including Advanced Optical Materials and ACS Applied Polymer Materials.

Principal Education and Working Experience

• 1989.9 —— 1993.7  B.S., Anhui University, China 

• 1993.9 —— 1996.7  M.S., University of Science and Technology of China

• 1996.8 —— 2004.3  Assistant Professor and Lecturer, Fudan University, China 

• 2001.4 —— 2004.3  Ph.D., Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan

• 2004.4 ——  Professor, Fudan University, China

• 2015.1 —— 2017.9  Associate Director of Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, China

• 2017.10 —— 2022.1  Director of Talent Office, Fudan University, China

• 2022.1 —— 2025.4  Director and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, China

• 2025.4 —— Present  Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor, School of Smart Materials and Future Energy, Fudan University, China

• 2025.4 —— Present  Executive Dean, School of Smart Materials and Future Energy, Fudan University, China

Principal Honors and Recognition

• 2005.1  Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University of Ministry Education of China

• 2005.12  Shanghai Shuguang Scholar

• 2006.6  Shanghai Youth Star of Science and Technology

• 2012.9  National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars

• 2015.6  Shanghai Excellent Academic Leader

• 2016.12  Changjiang Scholar of China

• 2016  Youth Science and Technology Innovation Leader

• 2017.12  Shanghai Leading Talents

• 2017.12  The Third Group of Leading Talents in Scientific and Technological Innovation under the National 'Ten Thousands Plan'

• 2017.12  The 4th China Chemical Society - Winning the Chemistry Innovation Award - Outstanding Scientist Award

• 2019.1  First prize of Shanghai Award for Natural Science (as first accomplisher)

• 2019.9  Shanghai Yucai Award

• 2024  First prize of Shanghai Natural Science Award (as first accomplisher)

• 2025  First prize of Science and Technology Award of Chinese Materials Research Society (as first accomplisher)

Principal Research Directions and Contents

• Research directions: Liquid crystal polymers; photo-responsive polymer materials; photo-responsive smart interface materials

• Research contents: Photodeformable polymer materials are considered uniquely superior smart polymer materials, because their shapes are controllable by externally supplied non-contact energy without need for direct contact and material exchange with chemical substances. Featuring anisotropic alignment and synergic movement, liquid crystals occur the phase transition from liquid crystal phase to isotropic phase when stimulated by outfield. As a result, the alignment of molecules changes from orderly to disorderly . In recent years, we have developed cross-linked liquid crystal polymer materials featuring light-induced bending by regulating the liquid crystal molecular alignment through UV light by means of the integration of azobenzene photoisomerization with the synergy of liquid crystal molecules. Furthermore, the bending direction is precisely controlled by the polarized light due to the selective absorption of liquid crystal molecules. The properties of photodeformable materials were optimized in their entirety through the constant adjustment of the molecular structure and microstructure of liquid crystal (liquid crystal mesogen alignment and phase structure). Besides, multi-wavelength light (UV/Vis/NIR) responsive novel materials featuring rapid deformation at room temperature were developed. On this basis, the development of flexible micro-devices characterized by the direct conversion from light energy to mechanical energy were launched. Prototypes of light-controlled micropumps, micro-valves, micro-motors, etc. were developed, and all-light-driven multi-joint and multi-DOF micro-robots were assembled. Furthermore, studies on outfield controllable functional interface materials were performed through the organized combination of azo liquid crystal polymers and micro-nano structure interfaces. The adhesive superhydrophobic functional interface with light response characteristics was established; moreover, adhesive fast in-situ reversible light regulation was achieved through the controllable and reversible changes in molecular and microscopic structures such as the changes in the molecular structure and polarity of azo and the orientation of mesogen, which enabled the fast lossless transfer of trace liquid.

Principal Academic Positions

• Council Member, Chinese Materials Research Society (C-MRS)

• Member, Science Popularization Committee of the Chinese Chemical Society

• Fellow, Chinese Chemical Society (CCS)

• Editorial Advisory Board Member, Advanced Optical Materials, ACS Applied Polymer Materials, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, and Droplet

• Associate Editor, European Polymer Journal, Smart Molecules, and Chinese Journal of Polymer Science

• Editorial Board Member, Journal of Materials Science & Technology, Polymer Science & Technology, Journal of Functional Polymers, Journal of Functional Materials, Chinese Journal of Liquid Crystals and Displays, and China Rubber Industry

  
  

Principal Courses Taught

• Liquid Crystal Materials and Displays

• Functional Polymer Materials

Selected Papers in Recent Years

1. Xin Zhao, Yan Chen, Bo Peng, Jia Wei* and Yanlei Yu*. A Facile Strategy for the Development of Recyclable Multifunctional Liquid Crystal Polymers via Post-Polymerization Modification and Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2023, 62(21), e202300699. (Hot Paper)

2. Bo Peng, Xueli Chen, Guodong Yu, Fan Xu, Ruyi Yang, Zhenghang Yu, Jia Wei, Guodong Zhu, Lang Qin, Jiayi Zhang, Qundong Shen and Yanlei Yu*. A Neuron-Readable Artificial Photoreceptor Composed of Photodeformable Liquid Crystal Polymers and Piezoelectric Materials, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2023, 33(23), 2214172.
   

3. Xin Huang, Lang Qin, Jinlei Wang, Xiao Zhang, Bo Peng and Yanlei Yu*. Multiple Shape Manipulation of Liquid Crystal Polymers Containing Diels-Alder Network, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2022, 32(51), 2208312.
   

4. Yao Lu, Lang Qin, Quan Liu, Zichuan Li, Weijia Zhang, Chongyu Zhu* and Yanlei Yu*. Contactless Manipulation of Mixed Phase Fluids in Liquid Crystal Polymer Microtubes Assisted with Light-driven Vortex, NPG Asia Mater., 2022, 14, 73.

5. Shuzhen Cui, Lang Qin, Xiaojun Liu and Yanlei Yu*. Programmable Coloration and Patterning on Reconfigurable Chiral Photonic Paper, Adv. Optical Mater., 2022, 10(5), 2102108.

6. Quan Liu, Guodong Yu, Chongyu Zhu, Bo Peng, Ruohan Li, Tao Yi and Yanlei Yu*. An Integrated Droplet Manipulation Platform with Photodeformable Microfluidic Channels, Small Methods, 2021, 5(12), 2100969.

7. Chongyu Zhu, Yao Lu, Lixin Jiang and Yanlei Yu*. Liquid Crystal Soft Actuators and Robots toward Mixed Reality, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2021, 31(39), 2009835. (Back Cover)

8. Lang Qin, Xiaojun Liu and Yanlei Yu*. Soft Actuators of Liquid Crystal Polymers Fueled by Light from Ultraviolet to Near Infrared, Adv. Optical Mater., 2021, 9(7), 2001743.

9. Lang Qin, Xiaojun Liu, Kunyun He, Guodong Yu, Hang Yuan, Ming Xu, Fuyou Li and Yanlei Yu*. Geminate labels programmed by two-tone microdroplets combining structural and fluorescent color, Nat. Commun., 2021, 12, 699.

10. Xinlei Pang, Lang Qin, Bo Xu, Quan Liu, and Yanlei Yu*. Ultralarge Contraction Directed by Light-Driven Unlocking of Prestored Strain Energy in Linear Liquid Crystal Polymer Fibers, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2020, 30(32), 2002451.

11. Xinlei Pang, Jiu-an Lv, Chongyu Zhu, Lang Qin and Yanlei Yu*. Photodeformable Azobenzene-Containing Liquid Crystal Polymers and Soft Actuators, Adv. Mater., 2019, 31(52), 1904224. (Reported by Materials Views China)

12. Bo Xu, Chongyu Zhu, Lang Qin, Jia Wei and Yanlei Yu*. Light-Directed Liquid Manipulation in Flexible Bilayer Microtubes, Small, 2019, 15(24), 1901847. (Cover paper)

13. Xiao Zhang, Chongyu Zhu, Bo Xu, Lang Qin, Jia Wei and Yanlei Yu*. Rapid, Localized, and Athermal Shape Memory Performance Triggered by Photoswitchable Glass Transition Temperature, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2019, 11(49), 46212.

14. Lang Qin, Jia Wei and Yanlei Yu*. Photostationary RGB Selective Reflection from Self-Organized Helical Superstructures for Continuous Photopatterning, Adv. Opt. Mater., 2019, 7(18), 1900430.

15. Xin Qing, Yuyun Liu, Jia Wei, Ran Zheng, Chongyu Zhu and Yanlei Yu*. Phototunable Morpho Butterfly Microstructures Modified by Liquid Crystal Polymers, Adv. Opt. Mater., 2019, 7(3), 1801494.

16. Lang Qin, Wei Gu, Jia Wei, and Yanlei Yu*. Piecewise Phototuning of Self-Organized Helical Superstructures, Adv. Mater., 2018, 30(8), 1704941.

17. Yuyun Liu, Bo Xu, Shengtong Sun, Jia Wei, Limin Wu and Yanlei Yu*. Humidity- and Photo-Induced Mechanical Actuation of Crosslinked Liquid Crystal Polymers, Adv. Mater., 2017, 29, 1604792.

18. Jiu-an Lv, YuyunLiu, Jia Wei, Erqiang Chen, Lang Qin and Yanlei Yu*. Photocontrol of Fluid Slugs in Liquid Crystal Polymer Microactuators, Nature, 2016, 537, 179-184.

19. Jianqiang Zhao,Yuyun Liu and Yanlei Yu*. Dual-Responsive Inverse Opal Films Based on a Crosslinked Liquid Crystal Polymer Containing Azobenzene, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2014, 2(48), 10262-10267. (Cover Paper)

20. Jing Wei, YuyunLiu, Jia Chen, Yuhui Li, Qin Yu, Gaoxiang Pan, Yanlei Yu*, Yonghui Deng* and Dongyuan Zhao. Azobenzene-Derived Surfactants as Phototriggered Recycable Templates for the Synthesis of Ordered Mesoporous Silica Nanospheres, Adv. Mater., 2014, 26, 1782-1787.