Chen Xiaodong

Xiaodong Chen is a materials scientist and nanotechnologist in Singapore. He is currently President’s Chair Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, Professor of Chemistry (by courtesy) and Medicine (by courtesy) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU). He is the member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, fellow of Singapore National Academy of Science, fellow of Academy of Engineering Singapore. His other current roles include the director of the Innovative Centre for Flexible Devices (iFLEX) at NTU, the director of Max Planck – NTU Joint Lab for Artificial Senses and the deputy director of the Singapore Hybrid-Integrated Next-Generation μ-Electronics (SHINE) Center and Deputy Director, Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science (IDMxS) at NTU. He is also the Editor-in-chief of ACS Nano. He was the Scientific Director at the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) between 2021 and 2023. So far, Chen has co-authored nearly 400 research publications and holds over 50 patents in Singapore and overseas.
Chen is known for his development of soft conformal materials for bioelectronic interfaces in elevating the sensing capability of sensor systems beyond human senses, and contributions to material science, chemistry, nanotechnology, energy storage and flexible electronics. He deployed this scheme for digitizing biological senses and augmenting human performance, enabling the reconstruction of “new senses” (or restoration) by fusing conformal sensing technology with artificial intelligence and neuromorphic computing for brain-like perception with the acquisition of high-quality data and fabricating close-to-human sensing devices systems. He was listed as one of the most cited researchers in Materials Science by Web of Science for six consecutive years between 2018 and 2023, and on The Asian Scientist 100 list by Asian Scientist Magazine in 2022.
===Early life and education===
Chen received his B.S. degree in Chemistry from Fuzhou University, China, his M.S. in Physical Chemistry from the Institute of Chemistry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, and his PhD in Biochemistry (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Münster, Germany. In 2006, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, USA, where he worked with Professor Chad Mirkin on molecular electronics based on nanomaterials. In 2009, He started his professorship career at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
===Research===
Chen’s research focuses on developing methods for controlling molecules and nanomaterials, using engineering principles and applying them to the design and synthesis of new materials with targeted properties of improving the sensitivity of the traditional method. He incorporates other disciplines, including computer science for algorithm development and engineering principles for developing flexible electronics, biosensors and wearable device manufacturing towards improving the sensitivity of biodiagnostics and related material applications.
A general approach used by Chen’s group is based on mechanomaterials to understand materials’ mechanical behavior influenced by various factors, such as microstructure, defects and loading conditions, to design and develop new materials with enhanced mechanical properties and sensitivity fit for practical applications such as bioelectronic interfaces with the ability to transmit biosignals into electrical outputs. His research involves the development of new materials and soft bioelectronics to overcome the diverging differences between surfaces and signal processing formats of human and electronic devices. With seamless human-machine integration, conventional electronic devices can detect reliable signals emitted from the human body.
Chen delves into artificial intelligence-based multi-modal sensing fusion, which involves using highly efficient sensing techniques merged with machine learning and vast high-quality data sets, a cornerstone to mimic the sensitivity of human perception. He integrated nanomaterial design and algorithm development to create the plant-based robot, improved the sensitivity of the hand gesture system, and enabled the synthesis of an artificial neural network for enhancing the sensitivity of e-noses to detect meat freshness and synthesis of artificial neurons that receive/release the neurotransmitter dopamine. He dives deeper into material development to derive a biphasic nano-dispersed interface (BIND interface) that performs as a ‘plug-and-play’ universal connector for assembling stretchable devices efficiently in a snap fit manner.
Chen's research team's discovery of "Water-Responsive Supercontractile Polymer Films for Bioelectronic Interfaces" (Nature, 2023) signifies a significant advancement in Water-Responsive Shape-Adaptive Polymer (WRAP) films inspired by spider silk's properties, providing ambient stability and rapid contraction in water. This biomaterial addresses challenges in integrating diverse tissue shapes, potentially revolutionizing bioelectronics. The versatility of WRAP films can pave the way for better medical devices such as pacemakers and bio-monitors in the future.
To date, he has published over 400 manuscripts, with a Google Scholar H-index of 120, and has over 50 patents. He authored a book, “Soft Matter Nanotechnology: From Structure to Function” with Harald Fuchs. Chen helms ACS Nano as the current Editor-in-Chief while serving on several editorial advisory boards including Advanced Materials, Small, Nanoscale Horizons and Nanoscale.
===Awards and honors===
Elected member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, 2024
NRF Investigatorship, National Research Foundation of Singapore, 2024
World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University, 2023
Nanyang Research Award, 2023
Dan Maydan Prize for Nanoscience Research, 2023
Winner of Falling Walls, Engineering and Technology Category, 2023
Kabiller Young Investigator Award, 2023
Nano Energy Award, 2023
Fellow of Singapore National Academy of Science (SNAS), 2022
Asian Scientist 100 list by Asian Scientist Magazine, 2022
Award for Solid State Chemistry & Materials, Singapore National Institute of Chemistry (SNIC), 2022
IUMRS Frontier Materials Scientists Award, 2022
Singapore President’s Science Award, 2021
Winner of Falling Walls, Engineering and Technology Category, 2021
Fellow of Academy of Engineering Singapore, 2020
Service to Education Award, Singapore Ministry of Education, 2020
Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, 2019
Highly Cited Researcher in Materials Science, Web of Science, 2018~2023
Mitsui Chemicals-SNIC Industry Award in Materials and Nano-chemistry, Singapore National Institute of Chemistry, 2018
Advanced Materials Hall of Fame, Wiley-VCH, 2018
NRF Investigatorship, National Research Foundation of Singapore, 2017
Nanyang Award in Research Excellence, NTU, 2016
NML Researcher Award, Nano-Micro Letters, 2016
Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry, 2016
Small Young Innovator Award, 2015
Lubrizol Young Materials Science Investigator Award, 2015
The Tan Chin Tuan Exchange Fellowship, Tan Chin Tuan Foundation, 2011
NRF Fellowship, National Research Foundation of Singapore, 2009
The best PhD dissertation award of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science, University of Münster, Germany, 2006
Summa Cum Laude of Ph.D. thesis, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität
Category:Materials science
Category:Nanotechnology
Category:Singaporean people