Assistant Professor
151N Link Hall
kyu131@syr.edu
213-361-5174
Institute Affiliation: BioInspired Institute
Areas of Expertise:
- Solid Mechanics
- Polymers
- Engineered Living Materials
- Sustainable Infrastructure Materials
- Advanced Manufacturing and 3D Printing
Dr. Yu’s research focuses on the development of sustainable engineered living materials, integrating living cells with synthetic materials to create functional materials with properties such as self-healing, self-growing, and dynamic environmental responsiveness. His research sits at the intersection of Solid Mechanics, Materials Science, Biology, and Advanced Manufacturing, with a focus on designing next-generation materials for infrastructure applications. His work aims to tackle critical global challenges in civil and environmental engineering, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving clean water access, advancing renewable energy solutions, and enhancing the resilience of structural materials. Through innovative material design, advanced manufacturing techniques (e.g., 3D printing), and fundamental mechanics studies, Dr. Yu seeks to develop materials that mimic biological functions while enabling greater control and manipulation of engineered living materials, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable built environment.
Honors and Awards:
- SES Future Faculty Symposium (FFS) travel award
- NAMRC/MSEC NSF Student Support Award
- EMI-MIMB student paper competition Award
- USC CEE Outstanding Research Assistant Award
Selected Publications:
Ketian Li, Kunhao Yu, Yanchu Zhang, Haixu Du, Constantinos Sioutas, Qiming Wang, Unveiling the mechanism secret of abrasion emissions of particulate matter and microplastics, Scientific Reports, 14, no. 1 : 23710, 2024.
So Hee Nah, Yunchan Lee, Kun‐Hao Yu, Yinding Chi, Hyemin Lee, Baohong Chen, Mohit Patel, Kunyu Wang, Shu Yang, Moisture Absorbing and Water Self-Releasing from Hybrid Hydrogel Desiccants, Advanced Functional Materials, 2313881, 2023
Kunhao Yu, Zhangzhengrong Feng, Haixu Du, Kyung Hoon Lee, Ketian Li, Yanchu Zhang, Sami F. Masri, Qiming Wang, Constructive adaptation of 3D-printable polymers in response to typically destructive aquatic environments, PNAS Nexus, 2022, Vol. 1, No. 3.
Kunhao Yu, Zhangzhengrong Feng, Haixu Du, Qiming Wang, Mechanics of Photosynthesis Assisted Polymer Strengthening, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 151, 104382, 2021.
Kunhao Yu, Zhangzhengrong Feng, Haixu Du, An Xin, Kyung Hoon Lee, Ketian Li, Yipin Su, Qiming Wang, Nicholas X Fang, Chiara Daraio, Photosynthesis Assisted Remodeling of Three-Dimensional Printed Structures, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118 (3), 2021.
Kunhao Yu, Haixu Du, An Xin, Kyung Hoon Lee, Zhangzhengrong Feng, Sami F. Masri, Yong Chen, Guoliang Huang, Qiming Wang, Healable, Memorizable, and Transformable Lattice Structures Made of Stiff Polymers, NPG Asia Materials, 12, 26, 2020.
An Xin, Kunhao Yu, Runrun Zhang, Bingyuan Ruan, Allyson L. McGaughey, Zhangzhengrong Feng, Kyung Hoon Lee, Yong Chen, Amy E. Childress, Qiming Wang, Bone-Inspired Healing of 3D-Printed Porous Ceramics, Materials Horizons, 2020.
Kunhao Yu, An Xin, Zhangzhengrong Feng, Kyung Hoon Lee, Qiming Wang, Mechanics of Self-Healing Thermoplastic Elastomers, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 137, 103831, 2020.
Kunhao Yu, An Xin, Haixu Du, Ying Li, Qiming Wang, Additive Manufacturing of Self-Healing Elastomers, NPG Asia Materials, 11, 7, 2019.
Kunhao Yu, An Xin, Qiming Wang, Mechanics of Light-Activated Self-Healing Polymer Networks, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 124, 643-662, 2019.
Kunhao Yu, An Xin, Qiming Wang, Mechanics of self-healing polymer networks crosslinked by dynamic bonds, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 121, 409-431, 2018.
Kunhao Yu, Di Wang, Qiming Wang, Tough and Self-Healable Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Repeatable Water Treatment, Polymers, 10, 880, 2018.
Kunhao Yu, Nicholas X. Fang, Guoliang Huang, Qiming Wang, Magnetoactive Acoustic Metamaterials, Advanced Materials, 1706348, 2018.