Professor Richard Fu

Professor

School: Engineering, Physics and Mathematics

Richard (YongQing) Fu is a professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Environment, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, UK. He obtained his BSc/MSc from Xian University of technology/Xian Jiaotong University, China, and a PhD degree from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and then worked as a Research Fellow in Singapore-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alliance, and a Research Associate in University of Cambridge. He was a lecturer in Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK, and then a Reader in Thin Film Centre in University of West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK, before moving to Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK in 2015.

He has extensive experience in smart thin films/materials, biomedical microdevices, energy materials, lab-on-chip, micromechanics, MEMS, nanotechnology, sensors and microfluidics. He has established a worldwide reputation from his pioneer research work on piezoelectric thin films, shape memory materials and films, nanostructured composite/films for MEMS, sensors/ actuators, and renewable energy applications.

His research has been funded by Engineering and Physics Science Research Council (EPSRC), Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, Carnegie Trust, EU Horizon Europe, UK Fluid Network, UK Microsystem Network, Northern Accelerator, ICURe, Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scottish Government, Scottish Union Physics Alliance (SUPA), Innovate UK/Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), AWE-UK, Scottish Sensor System Centre/CENSIS, Scottish Funding Council, and National Science Foundation of China. One of his KTP projects with Epigem was awarded outstanding.

He published over 500 science citation index (SCI) journal papers (including Progress in Materials Science, Nature Comm., Science Advances, Advanced Science, Energy Enviornmental Sci., ACS Nano, Nano Energy, Nano Letters, Advanced Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Small, Advanced Drug Delivery Review, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, etc.), two books, 20 book chapters, and over 120 conference papers.

Being the principle supervisors, he has 12 PhD students successfully graduated in UK universities. He is associate editors/editorial board members for seven international journals including NPE, Smart Wearable Technol, Sensors, Appl. Sci., and Scientific Report. He is regular journal paper reviewers for more than 50 journals, has co-organized 16 international conferences worldwide, and co-edited six special issues for different journals. He is is the leader of the Special Interest Group (SIG) on “Acoustofluidics” within the EPSRC-funded UK Fluids Network (UKFN), and Leader of SIG on "Micro-acoustics" of UK Microsystem Network (UKMN).

Campus Address

E102
Ellison Building, Northumbria University
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8ST

+441912274662

Email Richard

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Smart thin films for sensing (gas, environment and biosensor) and microsystems (MEMS, biomedical devices, and microactuators);
Piezoelectric films/coatings for acoustic waves for microfluidics, sensors, and lab-on-chips;
Shape memory materials and films; shape memory polymer nanocomposites and microactuators; for MEMS and microsurgery applications;
Nanomaterials and nanotechnology for energy (solar cell, battery, thermoelectric, and supercapacitor) and sensing applications;
Smart coatings for precision engineering (hard coating and nanocomposite coating, hydrophobic/icephobic/wear/friction/corrosion).

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Acoustic wave-powered durable icephobic duplex coating design with superior de-icing performance, del Moral, J., Haworth, L., Montes, L., Sánchez-Valencia, J., Barranco, A., Rico, V., Czermak, T., Carreño, F., García-Gallego, P., Mora, J., López-Santos, C., Winkler, A., Borras, A., Gonzalez-Elipe, A., Fu, Y. 11 Feb 2026, In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Anti-swelling and highly sensitive hydrogel strain sensor for underwater communication and remote robotic operations, Wang, L., Zhou, J., Chen, H., Yang, Y., Jiang, F., Shi, L., Fu, Y. 15 Jan 2026, In: Chemical Engineering Journal
Bioinspired Cold‐Laminated Ultrathin Hydrogels as a Broadly Adaptive Platform for Physiological Monitoring, Chen, H., Zhou, J., Xie, J., Shi, L., Wang, L., Yang, Y., Guo, Y., Cao, J., Fu, Q., Fu, Y., Duan, H. 15 Feb 2026, In: Advanced Science
Exclusive Se-O Coordination and Fe-doping Complementation: A Catalytic Strategy for Enhanced Sulfur Redox in Li-S Batteries, Yang, Z., Wang, Y., Han, J., Wu, T., Fu, Y., Wu, Q., Wen, M. 13 Feb 2026, In: Advanced Science
Highly conductive and low expansion molybdenum-copper composites synthesized by freeze-drying and infiltration, Zhao, C., Chen, W., Ma, J., Zhang, H., Fu, Y. 1 Feb 2026, In: International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials
Machine Learning to Enhance Strain-Resilience Humidity Sensing on Flexible Surface Acoustic Wave Platform, Xia, Y., Ji, Z., Zhou, J., Guo, Y., Chen, H., Zhang, J., Fu, Y. 6 Feb 2026, In: Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence
Monolithic acoustic droplet centrifuge array for enhancing point-of-care detection of trace microRNAs, Qian, J., Liu, C., He, J., Liu, X., Zheng, S., Liu, J., Chen, M., Fu, Y., Qiu, L. 23 Jan 2026, In: Small
Achieving superior strength-ductility in TiBw/Ti-6Al-4V composites via in-situ Ti2Ni nano-precipitation, Tuo, J., Dong, L., Wang, G., Zhang, X., Zhang, Z., Li, X., Fu, Y., Zhang, Y., Yang, Y., Zhang, L. 15 Feb 2025, In: Journal of Alloys and Compounds
Acoustic Wave Strategy to Enhance Free-Space Optics Link Performance in Fog Conditions, Cameron, A., Ijaz, M., Ghassemlooy, Z., Li, X., Drinkwater, B., Fu, Y. 15 Dec 2025, In: IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
Acoustofluidics Powered Synthesis of Bacterial Cellulose, Zhang, J., Gilmour, K., Zhang, M., Jiang, Y., Arnold, P., Ong, H., Wu, Q., Parsa, M., Tao, R., Luo, J., Fu, Y. 1 Dec 2025, In: ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering

PGR Supervision

Daniel Blackburn Smart Engineering Design with Acoustic Waves Controlled Droplet Impact on Flexible Substrates Start Date: 01/10/2025 End Date: 17/10/2025
Daniel Blackburn Surface Acoustic Wave Control of Droplet Impact and Ice Formation on Flexible Compliant Surfaces in Cold Climates Start Date: 01/10/2025
Alex Cameron Enhancing Optical Wireless Communication/Sensing Using Acoustic Waves Start Date: 16/01/2024
Jikai Zhang Flexible thin film surface acoustic wave technology for drug delivery and tissue engineering Start Date: 01/10/2021 End Date: 25/07/2025
Alex Cameron Enhancing Optical Wireless Communication/Sensing Using Acoustic Waves Start Date: 16/01/2024 End Date: 17/10/2025

Further Information

Research Funding
- Principle investigator: EPSRC Industry Landscape Awards Case PhD Studentship. Sponsored by Dyson Institute of Science and Technology, ~£180K. Oct 2025 to Oct 2029.
- Co-Investigator in Triple Boost Strategy for Low Energy Consuming Catalytic Ammonia Synthesis (Trimonia) from UK-HyRES: Hub for Research Challenges in Hydrogen and Alternative Liquid Fuels from UKRI and EPSRC. £ 294,044.87. Feb 2025 to Oct 2026.
- Co-Investigator in EU Horizon Project BIOntier, (PI, Prof. Ahmed Elmarakbi), Proposal title: BIOntier – BreakIng frontiers in sustainable and circular bio-composites with high performance for multi-sector applications, HORIZON-JU-CBE-2023-IA-07, HORIZON-RIA, Proposal ID 101069600, £608,063.44 to UNN, €8 Millions in total, Nov 2024-Oct 2027.
- Co-Investigator in EU Horizon Project ZEVRA, (PI, Prof. Ahmed Elmarakbi), Proposal title: Zero-Emission electric Vehicles enabled by haRmonised circulArity, HORIZON-CL5-2021-D6-01-10, HORIZON-RIA, Proposal ID 101069600, €12 Millions, Feb 2024-Feb 2027, and £512,272.94 is allocated to Northumbria University.
- Co-investigator, Horizon Project GIANCE, (PI, Prof. Ahmed Elmarakbi), Graphene Alliance for Sustainable Multifunctional Materials to Tackle Environmental Challenges, HORIZON-CL5-2021-D6-01-10, HORIZON-RIA, Proposal ID 101069600, €8.5 Millions, 2023-2026.
- Co-Investigator in Horizon Project SALIENT, (PI, Prof. Ahmed Elmarakbi) Proposal title Novel Concepts for Safer, Lighter and Circular Smart Vehicle Structure Design for Enhanced Crashworthiness and Higher Compatibility, HORIZON-CL5-2021-D6-01-10, HORIZON-RIA, Proposal ID 101069600, €9.9 Millions, 2022-2025.
- Principle Investigator in SETsquared ICURe (Innovation & Commercialisation of University Research - funded by InnovateUK) 2023 EXFEB23-01, Project of ‘Acoustic drug delivery patch’, March to June, 2023. £35,000.
- Northern Accelerator Funding, Executive into Business, £30K, for spin-out business plans; and Proof of Concept funding, £50K, on “Wearable acoustic wave patch for drug delivery”, partly funded with Northumbria University.
- Principle investigator: CAV Ice Protection LTD: an industry funded project on “Surface acoustic wave Technology on Deicing of aircraft wings”. ~£18K. May 2021 to Oct 2022.
- Co-investigator: on “Modelling of integration of passive hydrophobic coating and active thin film Surface acoustic wave platform for effective bio-film removal”, £20k, June 2021-December 2021, EPSRC NetworkPlus in Digitalised Surface Manufacturing.
- Principle investigator: Royal Society International Exchange grant with NSFC Newton Mobility Grant (IEC/NSFC/201078), “Highly efficient and active Ice protection strategy through integration of thin film acoustic waves and biomimetic surfaces”, £11,920. 2021-2023.
- Principle investigator: EPSRC Research Grant on “Thin Film Acoustic Wave Platform for Conformable and Mechanically Flexible Biosensors”, EP/P018998/1, £346,416, Northumbria University as leading Institute, 2017-2021.
- Principle investigator: PhD Studentship in EPSRC Doctor Training Centre on ReNU (Renewable Engineering Northeast University), No. 2430814, Hybrid piezoelectric films and smart icephobic coatings with acoustic wave strategies for active ice protection, Oct 2020 - Sep 2024.
- Co-investigator: Knowledge Transfer Partnership, “Development of a test device for monitoring patient drug levels”, Industry Funding with Hart Biologicals Ltd, £196,245, 2020-2023, Innovate UK, Knowledge transfer Partnership No KTP010845.
- Principle investigator: Knowledge Transfer Partnership, “IMPEL”-Innovative microsystem for medical practioner and point-of- care, Industry Funding with Epigem Ltd, £147,141. 2017-2019, Innovate UK, Knowledge transfer Partnership No KTP010548.
- Principle investigator: with China, Newton Mobility Grant (IE161019) International Exchange grant through Royal Society and NSFC, “Microfluidic nano-bio-chip for rapid and precision cancer diagnostics”, £11,960. 2017-2019.
- Co-investigator, CO2Chem Seedcorn Grant, Mass transport and selectivity for CO₂ electrochemical reduction reaction using graphene aerogel electrode, 2018-2019, £11,000.
- Principle investigator, Research Grant for Special Interests Group Grant – SIG-Acoustofluidics, UK Fluids Network (UKFN) through EPSRC EP/N032861/1, £17,500, 2017-2020.
- International Co-Investigator-External Collaborator, Graphene field effect transistor protein biosensors for lung cancer detection, Chinese National Science and Technology Foundation 21373068, with Harbin Institute of Technology, CNY 850 K, 2014-2017.
- Principle Iinvestigator,Superhard Nanocomposite Shape memory thin films, Royal Academy of Engineering-- Research Exchanges with China and India Scheme, £17,500，2014-2016.
- Principle investigator, “International Exchange Award” from Royal Society of Edinburgh to collaborate with researchers from Taiwan (Prof. Chuang in national Chengkung University, Taiwan), 2013-2015, total: ~£12,000.
- Principle investigator, Novel gas sensing platform based on nanostructured semiconductor materials, Scottish Sensor System Centre (S3C),£10,100, 2012-2013
- Principle investigator, Integrated lab-chip system for biosensing based on thin film acoustic wave technology, Carnegie Trust Funding, UK, £40,050, 2011-2013.
- Co-Investigator, Smart Micosystem, IeMRC/EPSRC (Engineering and Physics Science Research Council), UK, £1.5 Million in total, 2010-2013.
- Principle investigator, Potential Application of AlN Thin Film based Lab-on-chip, China-Scotland Higher Education Partnership with Harbin Institute of Technology, China, £25,000. Scottish Government, 2010-2012.
- Principle investigator, Thin Films based Microfluidic System, Research Grant, Royal Society, UK, £15,000, 2010-2012.
- Principle investigator, Nanocomposite Shape memory polymer for microsurgery applications，Royal Academy of Engineering--Research Exchanges with China and India Scheme，£12,500，2010-2012.
- Principle investigator, Modeling and splat morphology during thermal spray processes, Industry project with Atomic Weapon Enterprise (AWE), UK, £110,000, 2009-2011.
- Principle investigator, Feasibility of integrating AlN film with a range of advanced digital microfluidic lab-on-chip technologies, Carnegie Trust Funding, UK, £39,500, 2009-2010.
- Principle investigator, International Collaboration Award from Royal Society of Edinburgh. Visiting to China, £12,000, March 2008-2009.
Selected top 20 Publications
1. Zhao Yang, Yu Wang, Jingchen Han, Tong Wu, Yongqing Fu, Qingsheng Wu, and Ming Wen, Exclusive Se-O Coordination and Fe-doping Complementation: A Catalytic Strategy for Enhanced Sulfur Redox in Li-S Batteries, Advanced Science, 2025, e13049. Doi: DOI: 10.1002/advs.202513049.
2. Qian, Jingui, Zhang, Bowei, Liu, Chuanmin, Xue, Yuhang, Zhou, Hong, Huang, Liang, Zheng, Shaohui, Chen, Minghui, Fu, Yong-Qing, Reconfigurable acoustic tweezer for precise tracking and in-situ sensing of trace miRNAs in tumor cells, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 282 (2025) 117505. DOI: 1016/j.bios.2025.
3. Chi Zhang, Huiling Ong, Hamdi Torun, Jikai Zhang, Luke Haworth, Nicholas L. Theodorou, Prashant Agrawal, Weipeng Xuan, Jinkai Chen, Dengmu Cheng, Jikui Luo, Yong-Qing Fu, Integrated Strategy for Icing/fogging Mitigation with Electromagnetic Metamaterials and Thin Film Surface Acoustic Waves, Applied Physics Reviews, 12 (2025) 021402. DOI: 10.1063/5.0241048.
4. Jingui Qian, Yue Wang, Yuhang Xue, Habiba Begum, Yong-Qing Fu, Joshua E.-Y. Lee, Integrated functions of microfluidics and gravimetric sensing enabled by piezoelectric driven microstructures, Applied Phys. Rev., 12 (2025) 011401. Doi: 10.1063/5.0225891.
5. Ling Chen, Bin Liu, Christopher Markwell, Juan Liu, Xing-Dao He, Zabih Ghassemlooy, Hamdi Torun, Yong-Qing Fu, Jinhui Yuan, Qiang Liu, Gerald Farrell, and Qiang Wu, A nanonewton force sensor utilizing a U-shape tapered microfiber interferometer, Science Advances, 10, eadk8357 (2024). Doi: 1126/sciadv.adk83.
6. Xiaoyan Zhang, Povilas Dumcius, Roman Mikhaylov, Jiangfa Qi, Mercedes Stringer, Chao Sun, Van Dien Nguyen, You Zhou, Xianfang Sun, Dongfang Liang, Dongge Liu, Bing Yan, Xi Feng, Changjun Mei, Cong Xu, Mingqian Feng, Yongqing Fu, Aled Clayton, Ruicong Zhi, Liangfei Tian, Zhiqiang Dong, and Xin Yang, Surface Acoustic Wave‐Enhanced Multi‐View Acoustofluidic Rotation Cytometry (MARC) for Pre‐Cytopathological Screening, Adv. Sci., 11 (2024) 2403574. Doi: 10.1002/advs.202403574.
7. Jian Zhou, Ming Wen,Rong Huang, Qingsheng Wu, Guangfeng Wei, Yixing Luo, Yakun Tian, Yongqing Fu, Regulating active hydrogen adsorbed on grain boundary defects of nano-nickel for boosting ammonia electrosynthesis from nitrate, Energy and Environmental Sciences, 2023, in press. Doi: 10.1039/D2EE04095F.
8. Jian Zhou, Yihao Guo, Yong Wang, Zhangbin Ji, Qian Zhang, Fenglin Zhuo, Jingting Luo, Ran Tao, Jin Xie, Julien Reboud, Glen McHale, Shurong Dong, Jikui Luo, Huigao Duan, Yongqing Fu, Flexible and Wearable Acoustic Wave Technologies, Appl. Phys. Rev., 10 (2023) 021311. Doi: 10.1063/5.0142470.
9. Mercedes Stringer, Ziming Zeng, Xiaoyan Zhang, Yanyan Chai, Wen Li, Jikai Zhang, Huiling Ong, Dongfang Liang, Jing Dong, Yiming Li, Yongqing Fu, Xin Yang, Methodologies, technologies and strategies for acoustic streaming based Acoustofluidics, Applied Physics Review, 10 (2023) 0110315. Doi: 10.1063/5.0134646.
10. Qian Zhang, Yong Wang, Dongsheng Li, Jin Xie, Kai Tao, Pingan Hu, Jian Zhou, Honglong Chang, and Yongqing Fu, Multifunctional and Wearable Patches Based on Flexible Piezoelectric Acoustics for Integrated Sensing, Localization and Underwater Communication, Advanced Functional Materials, 33 (2023) 2209667. Doi: 1002/adfm.202209667.
11. Yunxia Hu, Mingjin Dai, Wei Feng, Xin Zhang, Feng Gao, Shichao Zhang, Biying Tan, Jia Zhang, Yong Shuai, YongQing Fu, PingAn Hu, Ultra-low power optical synapses based on MoS₂ layers with indium-induced surface charge doping for biomimetic eyes, Advanced Materials, 33 (2021) 2104960. Doi: 10.1002/adma.202104960.
12. Kai Tao, Zhe Zhao, Yang Yang, Jin Wu, Li Yunjia, Fan Kangqi, Yongqing Fu, Honglong Chang, Weizheng Yuan, Development of Bipolar-charged Electret Rotatory Power Generator and Application in Self-powered Intelligent Thrust Bearing, Nano Energy, 90 (2021) 106491. Doi: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2021.106491
13. Mingjin Dai, Hongyu Chen, Fakun Wang, Mingsheng Long, Huiming Shang, Yunxia Hu, Wen Li, Chuanyang Ge, Jia Zhang, Tianyou Zhai, Yongqing Fu and PingAn Hu, Ultrafast and Sensitive Self-Powered Photodetector Featuring Self-Limited Depletion Region and Fully-Depleted Channel with van der Waals Contacts, ACS Nano, 14 (2020) 9098–9106, DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c04329.
14. H. Pan, X. Zhao, G. Xiu, H. Li, N. Ladi, X. Zhang, W. Huang, S. Ahmad, L. Ding, Y. Shen, M. Wang and Y. Q. Fu, Advances in design engineering and merits of electron transporting layers in perovskite solar cells, Mater. Horiz., 7 (2020) 2276-2291. DOI: 10.1039/D0MH00586J.
15. Ran Tao, Glen McHale, Julien Reboud, Jonathan M. Cooper, Hamdi Torun, JingTing Luo, Jikui Luo, Xin Yang, Jian Zhou, Pep Canyelles-Pericas, Qiang Wu, Yongqing Fu, Hierarchical nanotexturing enables acoustofluidics on slippery yet sticky, flexible surfaces, Nano Lett., 20 (2020) 3263-3270, doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c00005.
16. Mingjin Dai, Wei Zheng, Xi Zhang, Sanmei Wang, Junhao Lin,^| Kai Li, Yunxia Hu, Enwei Sun, Jia Zhang, Yunfeng Qiu, Yongqing Fu,Wenwu Cao, and PingAn Hu, Enhanced Piezoelectric Effect Derived from Grain Boundary in MoS₂ Monolayers, Nano Lett, 20 (2020) 201-207. DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b03642.
17. Mingjin Dai, Zhiguo Wang, Fakun Wang, Yunfeng Qiu, Jia Zhang, Cheng-Yan Xu, Tianyou Zhai, Wenwu Cao, Yongqing Fu, Dechang Jia, Yu Zhou, Ping-An Hu, Two-Dimensional van der Waals Materials with Aligned In-Plane Polarization and Large Piezoelectric Effect for Self-Powered Piezoelectric Sensors, Nano Letter, 19, 8, 5410-5416. DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b01907
18. Zhijie Li, Hao Li, Zhonglin Wu, Mingkui Wang, Jingting Luo, Hamdi Torun, Pingan Hu, Chang Yang, Marius Grundmann, Xiaoteng Liu, YongQing Fu, Advances in designs and mechanisms of semiconducting metal oxide nanostructures for high-precision gas sensors operated at room-temperature, Materials Horizon, 6 (2019) 470-506. Doi: 10.1039/CBMH01365A.
19. Y.Q. Fu, J.K. Luo, N.T. Nguyen, A.J. Walton, A.J. Flewitt, X.T Zu, Y. Li, G. McHale, A. Matthews. E. Iborra H. Du,W.I. Milne, Advances in piezoelectric thin films for acoustic biosensors, acoustofluidics and lab-on-chip applications, Progress in Mater Sci. 89 (2017) 31-91. DOI: 10.1016/j.pmatsci.2017.04.006.
20. C. Yang, D. Souchay, M. Kneiß, M. Bogner, H. M. Wei, M. Lorenz, O. Oeckler, G. Benstetter, Y. Q. Fu, and M Grundmann, Transparent Flexible Thermoelectric Material Based on Non-toxic Earth-Abundant p-Type Copper Iodide Thin Film, Nature Communications, 8 (2017)16076, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms16076