MEMSDUKEPRATT School of engineering

Education

  • PhD, Harvard University, 2009
  • MAS, University of British Columbia, 2006
  • BSE, Tianjin University, 2003
Xuanhe Zhao
  • Office Location: Hudson Hall Engineering Building
  • Email Address: xz69@duke.edu

    • Xuanhe Zhao received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Harvard University in 2009, MAS in Materials Engineering from University of British Columbia in 2006, and BE in Electrical Engineering from Tianjin University in 2003. Upon finishing a postdoctoral training in Biomedical Engineering at Harvard, in 2010, Zhao will join the faculty of Duke University, and establish a laboratory studying mechanics and materials. Zhao is a winner of the AAM Founder's Prize from American Academy of Mechanics. He received the Winston Chen Graduate Fellowship from Harvard University and John S Nadeau Memorial Scholarship from University of British Columbia.

    Specialties
    Solid mechanics
    Active materials
    Soft materials
    Biomaterials
    Thermodynamics

    Recent Publications More Publications

    1. Xuanhe Zhao, Wei Hong, Zhigang Suo, Stretching and polarizing a dielectric gel immersed in a solvent, International Journal of Solids and Structures, vol. 45 (2009), ppt. 4021
    2. Xuanhe Zhao, Zhigang Suo, Electromechanical instability in semicrystalline polymers. Applied, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 95 no. 031904 (2009)
    3. 2. Soo Jin Adrian Koh, Xuanhe Zhao, and Zhigang Suo, Maximal energy that can be converted by a dielectric elastomer generator, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 94 no. 262902 (2009)
    4. Xuanhe Zhao, Zhigang Suo, Method to analyze programmable deformation of dielectric elastomer layers, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 93 no. 251902 (2008)
    5. Xuanhe Zhao, Zhigang Suo, Electrostriction in elastic dielectrics undergoing large deformation, Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 93 no. 251902 (2008)

    Research Interests

      Dr. Zhao's current research centers on soft active materials (SAMs), which include dielectric elastomers, hydrogels, magnetic polymers, and muscles. By integrating experiment and theory, Zhao is studying the behaviors of SAMs driven by multiple thermodynamic forces (e.g., stress, electric field, magnetic field, chemical potential), and exploring SAMs’ applications in various areas such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, energy harvesting, robotics, microfluidics, and water treatment.

    The mission of Duke's Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science educational programs is to provide the knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to be successful in the practice of engineering; the preparation necessary to undertake professional registration; an educational preparation for graduate or professional study; and an education background that is the basis for professional growth and leadership throughout a career that may encompass a broad range of endeavors, both technical and non-technical.