Prof. ZHU, Pingan
Assistant Professor
- Ph.D., The University of Hong Kong, 2017
- B.S., University of Science and Technology of China, 2013
Office
YEUNG-B6710
Phone
(+852) 3442-2316
Email
Research Interests
- Microfluidics
- Fluid Dynamics
- Surface Wettability
- Micro/Nanorobots
- Biomimetics
Current Position
- Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. 2020–present
Honors and Awards
- Outstanding Reviewer for Lab on a Chip in 2023 (2024)
- Associate Fellow of International Association of Advanced Materials, Sweden (2023)
- Micromachines 2022 Young Investigator Award (2023)
- Outstanding Reviewer for Lab on a Chip in 2022 (2023)
- IAAM Young Scientist Medal, International Association of Advanced Materials, Sweden (2022)
- Outstanding Achievement Award for China Rising Star in Science and Technology, China Association for Science and Technology and ScholarSet, China (2021)
- Pursuit of Environmental Initiatives and Participation in the 2018 Hong Kong Green Innovations Awards, Environmental Campaign Committee, Hong Kong, China (2019)
- Mechanical Engineering Outstanding Thesis Award, HKU (2018)
- TechConnect Global Innovation Award, 2018 TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo, Anaheim, USA (2018)
- Top 10 most downloaded articles published in Lab on a Chip in 2017 (2018)
- HKIS-Towngas Young Scientist Award (honorable mention), Hong Kong Institute of Science, Hong Kong, China (2017)
- Poster Prize, AMN/ISMM/APCBM/ANZNMF Conference, Tasmania, Australia (2017)
Editorship
- Early Career Editorial Advisory Board Member of Biomicrofluidics, 2023–present
- Youth Editor of Soft Science, 2022–present
- Youth Editor of The Innovation, 2022–2024
- Guest Editor of Micromachines, 2022–2023
Publications
(*Corresponding author; #Co-first author)
- S. Tang, W. Zhao, Y. Zhou, S. Wang, C. Wang, Y. Li, L. Wang and P. Zhu*. Tunable bouncing behavior of liquid–liquid compound drops. Newton 2, 100298 (2026). Sibling Journal of Cell in Physics
- S. Wang, Y. Zhou, We. Zhao, Y. Li, S. Tang, T. Si and P. Zhu*. Spontaneous droplet transport on shape-evolving microfiber rails. Nature Communications 16, 10894 (2025).
- P. Zhu* and L. Wang*. Thermo-induced reversible nanoemulsification. Matter 8, 102103 (2025).
- Y. Liu, Y. Zheng, Y. Zhou, W. Zhao, Y. Li, S. Tang, C. Wang, S. Wang, Y. Chai*, P. Zhu*. Self-lubricated bouncing of hot droplets. Newton 1, 100014 (2025).
- Y. Li, W. Zhao, Y. Zhou, S. Tang, S. Wang, Y. Zheng, Z. Wang* and P. Zhu*. Ultrafast bounce of particle-laden droplets. Nature Communications 15, 9943 (2024).
- Y. Zhou, C. Zhang, W. Zhao, S. Wang and P. Zhu*. Suppression of hollow droplet rebound on super-repellent surfaces. Nature Communications 14, 5386 (2023). Editors’ Highlights in “Applied Physics and Mathematics”
- Y. Zhou and P. Zhu*. A paradigm shift in liquid cooling by multitextured surface design. The Innovation 3, 100222 (2022). Invited Commentary
- P. Zhu* and L. Wang*. Microfluidics-enabled soft manufacture of materials with tailorable wettability. Chemical Reviews 122, 7010-7060 (2022). Microfluidics Special Issue; Front Cover
- S. Feng#, P. Zhu#, H. Zheng, H. Zhan, C. Chen, J. Li, L. Wang, X. Yao, Y. Liu and Z. Wang. Three-dimensional capillary ratchet-induced liquid directional steering. Science 373, 1344-1348 (2021). ESI Highly Cited Paper
- P. Zhu, R. Chen, C. Zhou, M. Aizenberg, J. Aizenberg and L. Wang. Bioinspired soft microactuators. Advanced Materials 33, 2008558 (2021).
- P. Zhu, T. Kong, X. Tang and L. Wang. Well-defined porous membranes for robust omniphobic surfaces via microfluidic emulsion templating. Nature Communications 8, 15823 (2017).
- P. Zhu and L. Wang. Passive and active droplet generation with microfluidics: A review. Lab on a Chip 17, 34-75 (2017). ESI Highly Cited Paper
Book Publications
- Pingan Zhu & Liqiu Wang. Microfluidics-Enabled Soft Manufacture, ISBN 978-3-030-96461-0, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-96462-7. Springer Nature, Switzerland AG (2022).
Position Available
We are looking for highly motivated students to join us. If you are interested in my research, please send your CV and publications (if any) to me by email (pingazhu@cityu.edu.hk). Please note that only those who are shortlisted for an interview will be contacted. English proficiency requirement is TOEFL score of 79 or above, or IELTS score of 6.5 or above, or CET-6 score of 490 or above.