Research Focus

Professor Alexander A. Solovev's research addresses functional materials and micro-/nanosystems in which geometry, strain, interfaces, catalysis and external fields are engineered as active design variables to control motion, transport, sensing and energy conversion. His work spans fundamental materials physics and non-equilibrium systems through microfluidics, clean-energy technologies, biomedical platforms and research translation. His research has received more than 6,700 citations, with an h-index of 36 (Google Scholar), and includes influential early contributions to man-made micro- and nanomachines. A major theme of his work is strain-engineered nanomembranes: thin-film systems in which built-in mechanical stress and geometry are deliberately used to generate curved, rolled-up and three-dimensional architectures. These structures enable mechanically, electrically, optically and magnetically tunable functionality that is difficult to achieve in conventional planar materials. A second major contribution was the development of self-propelled catalytic microtubular jet engines, subsequently recognised by Guinness World Records as the World's Smallest Man-Made Jet Engine. This work contributed to the development of catalytic micromotors and autonomous microscale motion as experimental platforms for active matter and far-from-equilibrium physics. Building on these foundations, Professor Solovev's research expanded into microfluidics, responsive materials, biosensing, biomedical systems, environmental technologies and microscale energy conversion. More recently, his work has explored catalytic micro-/nanomotors as materials-based information engines, connecting chemical energy conversion, sensing, state-dependent response, feedback and information processing in non-equilibrium systems.

Research Interests

• Strain-engineered nanomembranes and thin films — controlled curvature, rolled-up architectures, three-dimensional self-assembly, mechanically tunable materials, and reconfigurable photonic, electronic, magnetic and quantum-relevant devices.

• Catalytic and magnetic micro-/nanomachines and information engines — autonomous propulsion, sensing and responsive behaviour, field-controlled navigation, cargo transport, micro-object assembly, active matter, stochastic and non-equilibrium physics, and chemically powered materials-based information processing.

• Microfluidics, biosensing and lab-on-chip systems — droplet and capsule generation, microreactors, multiphase transport, adaptive microstructures, controlled materials synthesis, thin-film and transistor-based biosensors, diagnostic platforms and microfluidic transport systems.

• Clean-energy materials and microsystems — membraneless hydrogen-peroxide fuel cells, three-dimensional electrodes, catalytic micropumps, microscale energy conversion, electrochemical interfaces and solar-fuel technologies.

• Smart biomaterials and environmental systems — hydrogel micro-/nanomotors, photocatalytic microcapsules for water purification, theranostic microbubbles, multimodal imaging particles and responsive biomedical materials.

• AI-assisted research and innovation — evidence mapping, identification of scientific gaps and contradictions, TRIZ-based inventive problem solving, physics-informed modelling, scientific-claim verification, reproducibility and responsible AI-assisted research workflows.

Selected Funded and Collaborative Projects

• High-Performance Membraneless Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Cells with Three-Dimensional Electrodes — National Natural Science Foundation of China, RFIS-II; Principal Investigator; approved 2021, executed 2022–2023.

• Energy Conversion Based on Colloidal Motors in Non-Equilibrium Conditions — Fudan University "Zero to One" Program; Principal Investigator, 2021.

• Bio-Inspired Multifunctional Hydrogel Nano-/Micromotors for Water Purification — National Natural Science Foundation of China, International Scholar Grant; Principal Investigator, 2019–2021.

• Self-Powered Micro-Engine, Rotor and Pump for Clean Energy Conversion — Shanghai "Dawn Program"; Principal Investigator; awarded 2016, project executed 2017–2018.

• Young "1000 Talents" Research Program in Functional Micro-/Nanomaterials and Active Systems — Principal Investigator, 2015–2018.

• Fudan University Starting Grant — Principal Investigator, 2015–2016.

• Bioactive Ultrasound-Driven Microbubbles for Theranostics — BRICS STI Framework Programme involving China, India and Russia; RMB 1.6 million collaborative project; research contributor.

• Rolled-Up Integrative Bioanalytic Microsystems for Single-Cell and Biological Applications — Volkswagen Foundation-supported collaborative program (€6.3 million); research contributor, 2009–2011.

• Integrated Carbon Dioxide Capture, Conversion and Cycling — German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), iC4 Cluster (€5 million); research contributor, 2011–2013.

Across six Principal-Investigator awards, Professor Solovev secured RMB 4.75 million (approximately AUD 1.0 million) in competitive and institutional research funding. The BRICS, Volkswagen Foundation and BMBF projects were substantially larger collaborative programs in which he participated as a research contributor rather than Principal Investigator. In 2024, he was also formally offered a RMB 3 million Starting Grant accompanying a full-professor appointment at Great Bay University, Dongguan. The appointment and grant were paused following his relocation to Australia under the Global Talent Program.

Academic Leadership, Service and Research Translation

Professor Solovev's academic service spans international research collaboration, research-funding assessment, scholarly publishing, conference leadership, research training and science-to-innovation translation.

He has participated in the evaluation of research proposals for national and international funding programs, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), BRICS STI Framework Programme, European research programs and DAAD-related research initiatives.

His international academic activities have included building and supporting collaborations between research institutions across Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. At Fudan University, he contributed to cross-institutional engagement involving Fudan University, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology and researchers connected with MIT, supporting international cooperation in materials science and technological innovation.

Professor Solovev also works at the interface between academic research, innovation and scholarly communication. As Founding Director of the NanoTRIZ Innovation Institute, he develops research and education approaches connecting scientific methodology, inventive problem solving, modelling, evidence verification, responsible AI and research translation.

As Founding Chair of the International Conference on Advances in Microfluidics (AIM 2026) in Brisbane, he is developing an interdisciplinary platform connecting academic research with industry, entrepreneurship, open science and technology translation across biotechnology, medicine, agriculture, energy, environmental sustainability and micro-/nanodevices.

His Australian innovation engagement has included development of a concept for a Brisbane-based research and innovation hub intended to strengthen translation of scientific research into technologies and applications, for which letters of support were received in 2025 from the Lord Mayor of Brisbane and the Brisbane Economic Development Agency.

Biography

Professor Alexander Solovev, PhD, is the Founding Director of the NanoTRIZ Innovation Institute in Brisbane, Australia, and Founder and Editor-in-Chief of SciViD, a platform for video-based scientific communication. His research spans nanotechnology, strain-engineered nanomembranes, active micro- and nanosystems, microfluidics, clean-energy microsystems, biomaterials, biosensing and research translation. He earned his PhD in Physical Chemistry (magna cum laude) from Chemnitz University of Technology in 2012, conducting his doctoral research at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW Dresden) under Professor Oliver G. Schmidt. From 2015 to 2024, he served as a tenured Professor in the Department of Materials Science at Fudan University, where he established and led externally and institutionally funded research programs, developed interdisciplinary curricula, and supervised doctoral, master's, undergraduate and postdoctoral researchers. His postdoctoral and visiting research appointments include:

• Harvard University, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Visiting Scholar hosted by Professor David A. Weitz, 2017.

• University of Toronto, Solar Fuels Cluster, 2015.

• Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, 2013–2014.

• Technical University of Munich, 2011–2013.

He also undertook exchange study in chemistry at Princeton University and Columbia University in 2004.

In November–December 2024, he held a one-month Visiting Academic appointment at the University of Queensland within the ARC Centre of Excellence in Quantum Biotechnology. His early research established expertise in strain-engineered rolled-up nanomembranes and catalytic microengines. Subsequent work broadened into magnetic and catalytic microrobotics, microfluidic transport systems, responsive microcapsules, biomedical imaging, biosensing, environmental technologies and membraneless fuel cells. He holds Australian permanent residency under Australia's Global Talent Program.

Academic Record

• H-index: 36

• Citations: 6,700+ (Google Scholar)

• Peer-reviewed publications: 70+

• Total scholarly outputs: 75+, including patents, book chapters and conference proceedings

• Corresponding-author publications: 21

• Invited presentations: 30+, including presentations at MIT, University of Toronto, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, LMU Munich, University of Hong Kong, Technion and University of Melbourne

• Journal reviewing: 50+ international journals, including Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Communications, Advanced Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, ACS Nano, Nano Letters, JACS, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Progress in Materials Science, Lab on a Chip and Accounts of Materials Research

• Principal-Investigator research awards: 6

• PI funding secured: RMB 4.75 million (approximately AUD 1.0 million)

• Completed doctoral and master's supervision: 5 graduates — 3 PhD and 2 MSc — in addition to postdoctoral, undergraduate and other research mentoring

• Semester-long university course leadership: 7 years, 2016–2023

• Research-funding review: national and international funding programs including NSFC, BRICS STI and European/DAAD-related programs

Patents

1. Xu J., Fan S., Liu X., Zheng X., Ark Y., Solovev A. A., Yang H., He Y. Real-time imaging and tracking methods for micromotors, and device and control method for micromotors. China Patent CN113397591B, granted 2022.

2. Solovev A. A., Mei Y., Huang G., Xu K., Zhu F., Chen G. Method for improving performance of membrane-free hydrogen peroxide fuel cell by using surfactant. China Patent Application CN117438627A, filed 2023, published 2024.

Teaching and Supervision: Teaching Philosophy

Professor Solovev's teaching philosophy emphasises conceptual understanding, critical inquiry and research-based learning rather than rote reproduction of formulas or procedures. Students work with authentic scientific literature and data, open-ended problems, interdisciplinary case studies, simulations and experimental projects. Teaching progresses from fundamental concepts to hypothesis formation, quantitative analysis, scientific argumentation, validation, communication and iterative refinement. At the undergraduate level, the emphasis is on building strong conceptual foundations and scientific reasoning. At the graduate level, students are increasingly expected to define problems independently, evaluate competing explanations, analyse evidence critically and contribute original research. His more recent educational work also integrates responsible use of AI tools for literature analysis, evidence verification, scientific writing and peer review, while maintaining human responsibility for interpretation, originality, scientific judgement and final conclusions.

Courses Designed and Delivered

• Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip — full-semester course, Fudan University, 2016–2023. Integrated microfluidics, nanomaterials and device fabrication with diagnostic, pharmaceutical, biomedical and environmental applications.

• Materials in Life — four-week international intensive course, Fudan International Summer Session, 2016 and 2018. Covered biomaterials, smart materials and technologies relevant to health, energy and environmental sustainability.

• Self-Organization in Physical Science: Patterns, Chaos and Rhythms — seminar series, Technical University of Munich, 2012. Addressed nonlinear dynamics, pattern formation, fractals and complex physical systems.

• Nanomachines — laboratory course, IFW Dresden, 2009–2011. Provided experimental training in fabrication, operation and analysis of catalytic tubular micro-/nanomotors.

Doctoral and Master's Supervision, Fudan University

• Hong Zhu, PhD, 2022 — Novel hydrogel materials and their motility characteristics for miniaturized robots.
  Recipient of the Most Energetic Award, 2nd "Si Ji Qing" Youth Forum (2021); Outstanding Graduate Student (2021); Shanghai Mindmotion Scholarship (2021); Top Graduate Student Scholarship (2017, 2020); Silver Award, 12th "Challenge Cup" College Students Business Plan Competition (2020); Chinese Government Scholarship for Visiting PhD Student (2020); First Prize, 6th "Pan-Sea Cup" College Students Innovation Competition (2020).

• Jinrun Liu, PhD, 2022 — Microfluidic-based fabrication of microstructures and applications in transformable microrobots.

• Summayah Naeem, PhD, 2021 — Mechanism and optimization of catalytic micromotors made of inorganic nanomembranes. Recipient of a Chinese Government Scholarship for graduate study.

• Hong Chen, MSc, 2021 — Study on microfluidic fabrication of structural-coloured microbubbles and their coloration mechanism.

• Xiaojie Shi, MSc, 2021 — A strain-engineered helical structure as a self-adaptive magnetic microswimmer.

Professor Solovev's postgraduate supervision group received Fudan University's Graduate Student Supervisor "Best 10 Groups" Award in 2021.

Postdoctoral Trainees

• Dr Vladimir Bolaños — subsequently engineer at Infineon Technologies, Germany.

• Dr Jawayria Mujtaba — subsequently Associate Professor at Anhui Normal University.

Other Former Group Members

• Walther Shen — subsequently at Northwestern University, USA.

• Wei Chenyun — subsequently at Cornell University, USA.

Editorial and Conference Leadership

• Founder and Editor-in-Chief, SciViD — platform for peer-reviewed video-based scientific articles and research communication, 2025–present.

• Founding Chair, International Conference on Advances in Microfluidics (AIM 2026), Brisbane — developing an international interdisciplinary conference connecting microfluidics, biotechnology, diagnostics, agriculture, energy, environmental sustainability, nanotechnology and academia–industry translation.

• Conference Chair, MARSS 2023 — IEEE International Conference on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales, Abu Dhabi.

• Invited Guest Editor, Applied Science, Springer Nature — invited editorial role covering advanced micro-/nanodevices, functional materials, sensing and fluidic systems.

• Guest Editor, Micromachines — "Dream Nanomachines" Special Issue, 2020–2021.

• Co-organiser, "Celebration of 10 Years Nanorockets Research" workshop, Fudan University, 2019.

Author of two independently published academic career and scientific-writing books:

• Academic Career Guide: A Visiting Scholar at Harvard University (2022)

• Publishing an Academic Review Paper: Scientists' Strategies for Effective Publishing (2022)

Awards, Honours and Distinctions: Fellowships and Talent Programs

• Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany, 2015.

• "1000 Talents" Program Award for High-Level Foreign Experts, People's Republic of China, 2015.

• Australia's Global Talent Program, Subclass 858, granted 2024.

Awards and Honours

• Guinness World Records recognition — World's Smallest Man-Made Jet Engine, awarded 2011 and published in the Guinness World Records 2012 edition.

• IOP Publishing / IOPscience Emerging Leader, Institute of Physics, UK, 2018.

• Shanghai "Dawn Program" Award, 2016.

• DSM Science & Technology Award finalist, one of twelve finalists from four countries, Zurich, 2009.

• STIBET-DAAD Prize, Technical University of Munich, 2012.

• DECHEMA Honourable Mention, Germany, 2010.

• Graduate Student Supervisor "Best 10 Groups" Award, Fudan University, 2021.

• National Academic Olympiad, Kyrgyzstan — 1st Place, Theoretical Mechanics, 2001; 3rd Place, Resistance of Materials, 2001; 3rd Place, Theoretical Mechanics, 2000.

Visiting and Research Fellowships

• Visiting Scholar, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, hosted by Professor David A. Weitz, 2017.

• Research Fellowship, Solar Fuels Cluster, University of Toronto, 2015.

• Research Fellowship, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, 2013.

Professional Memberships

• Full Member, Sigma Xi — The Scientific Research Honor Society

• Full Member, Harvard Club of Australia