Tao Wang | Properties and Performance | Research Excellence Award

Mr. Tao Wang at University of Science and Technology of China | China

Tao Wang is a dedicated postdoctoral researcher at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), specializing in precision machinery, biomimetic dry adhesives, and intelligent material systems for advanced engineering applications. He earned both his Bachelor of Engineering and Ph.D. in Precision Machinery and Precision Instrument from USTC, ranking among the top students and receiving numerous prestigious honors, including the National Scholarship (2022), multiple First-Class Scholarships, the “Cun Cao Xin” Special Scholarship, and Outstanding Graduate awards at both the provincial and university levels. His research focuses on high-performance, rapidly switchable adhesive systems inspired by biological mechanisms, with impactful contributions to space debris removal and sensation-free adhesion across varied surfaces. Notably, he developed magnetically triggered core-shell intelligent adhesives that overcome challenges such as the adhesion paradox and interface stress regulation, enabling millisecond-level switching, enhanced surface adaptability, and reliable repeatability. He has also advanced layered composite adhesives integrating CNT arrays and retractable micro-claw structures for robust multifunctional adhesion. Tao Wang has published 10 scientific documents, accumulating 28 citations from 24 citing documents, and holds an h-index of 3, reflecting the growing influence of his work. His publications include articles in leading journals such as Chemical Engineering Journal, Smart Materials and Structures, Composites Part A, and ChemistrySelect, alongside multiple patents on precision measurement devices and smart adhesive systems. In addition to research, he has excelled as a teaching assistant—earning the Outstanding Teaching Assistant award—and has demonstrated strong leadership through class roles, volunteer initiatives, and science outreach programs. With expertise in CAD modeling, finite-element simulation, micro-fabrication, advanced surface characterization, and additive manufacturing, Tao Wang continues to push the boundaries of intelligent adhesive technologies with promising applications in aerospace, robotics, and next-generation engineering systems.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

Wang, T., Zhang, P., et al. (2022). Rapidly switchable double-layered adhesive modified by magnetic field. Chemical Engineering Journal, 438, 135441.

Wang, T., Gu, P., Gao, T., et al. (2024). Ladybug-inspired hierarchical composite adhesives for enhanced surface adaptability. Smart Materials and Structures.

Yang, X. C., Zhong, H. M., Zhang, P., Wang, T., & Zhao, Y. (2021). Ladybug-inspired double-layered adhesive with enhanced robustness to surface roughness. ChemistrySelect, 6(4), 640–646.

Li, H., Wang, T., Chen, Z. J., et al. (2024). Regulation of interface stress distribution to enhance the adhesion strength of dry adhesive materials. Journal of Functional Polymers.

Gao, T., Wang, G., Wang, T., et al. (2025). Impact of elastic instabilities on friction induced by capillary adhesion. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 199, 109149.

Dandan Sun | Properties and Performance | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Dandan Sun | China Railway 15th Bureau Group Corporation Limited | China

Dr. Dandan Sun is a Senior Engineer and Vice-Dean of the Technical Center at China Railway 15th Bureau Group Corporation Limited in Shanghai, specializing in urban underground space development, tunnel engineering, vertical shaft excavation, intelligent construction technologies, and concrete durability. She holds a Ph.D. in Material Science and Engineering from Tongji University, including a joint doctoral experience at the University of Melbourne, and a bachelor’s degree from Wuhan University of Technology. Her research focuses on the microstructure and durability of concrete, ion transport and corrosion mechanisms in cementitious materials, and innovative construction technologies for complex underground environments, combining experimental, numerical, and field studies. She has authored numerous influential publications on topics such as sulfate and chloride attack on concrete, bond behavior between steel and concrete, vertical shield tunneling, and offshore construction durability. In addition to her scholarly contributions, she holds over forty invention patents and has contributed to technical standards for high-performance concrete applications. Her work has been recognized with multiple prestigious awards for technological breakthroughs in intelligent construction, slope failure prevention, and sustainable urban underground development, including international acclaim at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions for her intelligent and ecological underground garage design. Through her research, innovation, and leadership, Dandan Sun has significantly advanced civil engineering and sustainable urban infrastructure development.

Featured Publications

Shi, H., Sun, D., & Wu, K. (2016). Development on microstructure and numerical simulation of interfacial transition zone. Journal of The Chinese Ceramic Society, 44(5), 678–685.

Sun, D., Wu, K., Kang, W., et al. (2018). Characterisation of water stability of magnesium phosphate cement blended with steel slag and fly ash. Advances in Cement Research, 32(6), 1–11.

Sun, D., Wu, K., Shi, H., et al. (2018). Effect of interfacial transition zone on the transport of sulfate ions in concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 28–37.

Wu, K., Kang, W., Xu, L., Sun, D., et al. (2018). Damage evolution of blended cement concrete under sodium sulfate attack in relation to ITZ volume content. Construction and Building Materials, 452–465.

Sun, D., Wu, K., Shi, H., et al. (2019). Deformation behaviour of concrete materials under sulfate attack. Construction and Building Materials, 232–241.