Prof Richard Fu

Professor

Department: Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering

Richard (YongQing) Fu is a professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Environment, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, UK. He obtained his 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 until 2015, before moving to Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK.

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 shape memory films, piezoelectric thin 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, Horizon 2020, UK Fluidic Network, 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 was awarded outstanding.

He published over 450 science citation index (SCI) journal papers (including Progress in Materials Science, Nature Comm., Advanced Science, Materials Horizons, ACS Nano, Nano Energy, Nano Letters, Advanced Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Small, Chemistry of Materials, J Mater Chem A, Advanced Drug Delivery Review, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews), two books, 20 book chapters, and over 120 conference papers. His current SCI H-index is 60 with over 16 K citations, and his Google scholar H-index is 70 with over 21K citations (up to July 2022).

Being the principle supervisors, he has ten PhD students successfully graduated in UK universities. He is associate editors/editorial board members for seven international journals including Scientific Report. He is regular journal paper reviewers for more than 50 journals, has co-organized 15 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).

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), microsystems, MEMS, biomedical microdevices, 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, wear/friction/corrosion).

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
2D hetero-nanostructured reduced-CuNiFe-oxides with self-produced H₂O₂ Fenton-like photocatalysis for tetracycline degradation, Fu, L., Wu, D., Wen, M., Zhu, Y., Wu, Q., Zhou, T., Fu, Y. 21 Jan 2023, In: Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers
Advances in Graphene-based Flexible and Wearable Strain Sensors, Chen, H., Zhuo, F., Zhou, J., Liu, Y., Zhang, J., Dong, S., Liu, X., Elmarakbi, A., Duan, H., Fu, Y. 15 May 2023, In: Chemical Engineering Journal
Advances in sensing mechanisms and micro/nanostructured sensing layers for surface acoustic wave based gas sensors, Li, X., Sun, W., Fu, W., Lu, H., Zu, X., Guo, Y., Gibson, D., Fu, Y. 7 May 2023, In: Journal of Materials Chemistry A
An enhanced tilted-angle acoustic tweezer for mechanical phenotyping of cancer cells, Wang, H., Boardman, J., Zhang, X., Sun, C., Cai, M., Wei, J., Dong, z., Feng, M., Liang, D., Hu, S., Qian, Y., Dong, S., Fu, Y., Torun, H., Clayton, A., Wu, Z., Xie, Z., Yang, X. 15 May 2023, In: Analytica Chimica Acta
An extended shoving model for dynamic fluctuation of glass transition in amorphous polymer towards cooperative shape-memory effect, Liu, J., Lu, H., Elmarakbi, A., Fu, Y. 31 May 2023, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
An Extreme Learning Machine optimized by Differential Evolution and Artificial Bee Colony for Predicting the Concentration of Whole Blood with Fourier Transform Raman Spectroscopy, Wang, Q., Song, S., Li, L., Wen, D., Shan, P., Li, Z., Fu, Y. 5 May 2023, In: Spectrochimica Acta - Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy
A potential well model for host-guest chemistry in double-network hydrogels toward mechanochemical coupling and toughening, Xing, Z., Lu, H., Lau, D., Fu, Y. 9 Feb 2023, In: Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
A review of microstructured optical fibers for sensing applications, Xue, P., Liu, Q., Lu, S., Xia, Y., Wu, Q., Fu, Y. 1 May 2023, In: Optical Fiber Technology

PGR Supervision

Mumtahina Rahman Manipulation of Droplets on Laser Micromachined Stretchable PDMS Substrate Start Date: 18/05/2020 End Date: 24/03/2023
Hui Ling Ong Thin Film Based Transparent Surface Acoustic Waves on glass to tackle soiling, icing and fouling issues Start Date: 01/10/2021
Jikai Zhang Drug delivery and tissue engineering using flexible acoustic waves Start Date: 01/10/2021
Manuel Bogner Thermal Conductivity Measurements of Thin Films using a Novel 3 Omega Method Start Date: 06/06/2015 End Date: 14/12/2017
Chao Zhao Low Temperature Synthesis of Nanostructured Oxides for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Start Date: 01/06/2015 End Date: 03/01/2017
Luke Haworth Thin Film Acoustic Wave Strategies and Integrated Active Surfaces for Droplet Manipulation and Icing Applications Start Date: 01/10/2020
Sameer Ahmad Hasan Flexible ZnO thin film-based surface acoustic wave devices for environmental and biomedical sensing applications Start Date: 01/10/2015 End Date: 20/01/2020
Jethro Vernon An Integrated Open Source Acoustofluidic Platform using Surface Acoustic Waves for Biomedical Applications Start Date: 01/10/2018 End Date: 25/11/2022
Tiancheng Xia Start Date: 11/03/2019

Further Information

Research Funding
- 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. Kai Tao, Zhensheng Chen, Jiahao Yu, Haozhe Zeng, Jin Wu, Zixuan Wu, Qingyan Jia, Peng Li, Yongqing Fu, Honglong Chang, Weizheng Yuan, Ultra-Sensitive, Deformable and Transparent Triboelectric Tactile Sensor based on Micro-Pyramid Patterned Ionic Hydrogel for Interactive Human-Machine Interfaces. Advanced Science, 15, 2022, 2104168. Doi: 10.1002/advs.202104168.
2. 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, AdvancedMaterials, 33 (2021) 2104960. Doi: 10.1002/adma.202104960.
3. 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
4. Kai Tao, Zhensheng Chen, Haiping Yi, Ruirong Zhang, Qiang Shen, Jin Wu, Lihua Tang, Kangqi Fan, Yongqing Fu, Jianmin Miao, Weizheng Yuan, Hierarchical Honeycomb-structured Electret/Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Biomechanical and Morphing Wing Energy Harvesting, Nano-Micro Letters, 13 (2021) 123. Doi: 10.1007/s40820-021-00644-0.
5. Liangquan Xu, Weipeng Xuan, Jinkai Chen,Chi Zhang, Yuzhi Tang, Xiwei Huang, Wenjun Li, Hao Jin, Shurong Dong, Wuliang Yin, Yongqing Fu, Jikui Luo, Fully self-powered instantaneous wireless humidity sensing system based on triboelectric nanogenerator, Nano Energy, 83 (2021) 105814. doi:10.1016/j.nanoen.2021.105814.
6. Yong-Qing Fu, Hua-Feng Pang,Hamdi Torun, Ran Tao, Glen McHale, Julien Reboud, Kai Tao, Jian Zhou,Jingting Luo, D. Gibson, Jikui Luo, and PingAn Hu, Engineering Inclined Orientations of Piezoelectric Films for Integrated Acoustofluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip, Lab-on-a-chip, 21 (2021) 254-271, DOI: 10.1039/D0LC00887G.
7. Yunxia Hu,Mingjin Dai, Wei Feng, Xin Zhang,Shichao Zhang,Biying Tan, Huiming Shang, YongQing Fu, PingAn Hu, Monolayer hydrophilic MoS₂ with strong charge trapping for atomically thin neuromorphic vision systems, Materials Horizon, 7 (2020) 3316-3324, DOIs: 10.1039/d0mh01472a.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 10. 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.
12. 11.Mengxuan Sun, Zhijie Li, Qisheng Fang, Shaobo Han, Chao Cai, Hao Li, Wenzhong Shen, Xiaoteng Liu, YongQing Fu, Room-temperature synthesized porous Cu(OH)₂/Cu₇S₄hybrid nanowires as high-performance electrode material for asymmetric supercapacitor, J. Mater Chem. A, 8 (2020) 724-734. DOI: 10.1039/C9TA11515C.
13. 12. Kai Tao, Haiping Yi, Yang Yang, Honglong Chang, Jin Wu, Lihua Tang, Zhaoshu Yang, Nan Wang, Liangxing Hu, Yongqing Fu, Jianmin Miao and Weizheng Yuan, Origami-Inspired Electret-Based Triboelectric Generator for Biomechanical and Ocean Wave Energy Harvesting, Nano Energy, 67 (2020) 104197, DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2019.104197.
14. 13. 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
15. 14. Tang, R., Zheng, Z-H., Su, Z-H., Li, X-J., Wei, Y-D., Zhang, X-H., Fu, Y-Q., Luo, J. T., Fan, P. & Liang, G-X., 23 Highly efficient and stable planar heterojunction solar cell based on sputtered and post-selenized Sb₂Se₃ thin film, Nano Energy. 64 (2019) 103929. DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2019.103929
16. 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.
17. Zheng, Wei; Huang, Weicheng; Yang, Huihui; Gao, Feng; Dai, Mingjin; Liu, Guangbo; Yang, Bin; Zhang, Jia; Yong Qing Fu; Chen, Xiaoshuang; Qiu, Yunfeng; Jia, Dechang; Zhou, Yu; Hu, PingAn, Kirigami-inspired highly stretchable nanoscale devices using multi-dimensional deformation of monolayer MoS2, Chemistry of Materials, 2018, 30 (17), pp 6063–6070. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b02464.
18. Qingnan Wu, Jiahao Wen, Ming Wen, Qingsheng Wu, and Yong Qing Fu, Bioinspired Sea-sponge Nanostructure Design of Ni/Ni(HCO₃)₂-on-C for Supercapacitor with Superior Anti-fading Capacity, J. Mater Chem. A, 6 (2018) 15781-15788, DOI: 10.1039/c8ta05303k.
19. Jinkai Chen, Weipeng Xuan, Pengfei Zhao, Umar Farooq, Peng Ding, Wuliang Yin, Hao Jin, Xiaozhi Wang, Yongqing Fu, Shurong Dong and Jikui Luo, Triboelectric effect based instantaneous self-powered wireless sensing with self-determined identity, Nano Energy, 51 (2018) 1-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2018.06.029.
20. 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. Article reference: JPMS447, DOI: 10.1016/j.pmatsci.2017.04.006.
21. 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.
Two books

* S. Miyzaki, Y. Q. Fu, W. M. Huang, Book of “Thin Film Shape Memory Alloys: Fundamentals and biomedical Device Applications”, Cambridge University Press, 2009, ISBN 9780521, 885768, Page 459 in total.

* WM Huang, B. Yang, and Y. Q. Fu, Book of “Polyurethane Shape Memory Polymers”, Tayler and Frances, page 296 in total, 9781439838006, 1439838003, May 25^th, 2011.

Qualifications

Materials Science PhD June 30 1999
Member Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 2007
Member Institute of Physics (IOP) 2007

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