Founding Director of NanoTRIZ Institute. Brisbane, Australia
Dr. Alexander Solovev
Founding Director of NanoTRIZ Institute. Brisbane, Australia
NanoTRIZ Innovation Institute, Australia
Research Focus: Strain-engineered nanomembranes, catalytic and magnetic micro-/nanomachines, microfluidics and lab-on-chip systems, functional micro-/nanomaterials, clean-energy microsystems, smart biomaterials, biosensing, and AI-enabled research translation.
Available for supervision
Projects for students: Nanomembranes, strain-engineered properties of materails, man-made nanomachines, catalytic nanomotors, external control of nanoparticles, self-assembly
Research Focus:
Professor Solovev's research addresses functional materials and micro-/nanosystems in which geometry, strain, interfaces, catalysis and external fields are engineered to produce controlled motion, transport, sensing and energy conversion — spanning fundamental materials physics through to translational device and diagnostic platforms.
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 — autonomous propulsion, field-controlled navigation, cargo transport, micro-object assembly, motion in confined microfluidic environments, and the physics of active and non-equilibrium systems.
Microfluidics and lab-on-chip systems — droplet and capsule generation, microreactors, multiphase transport, adaptive microstructures, biosensing, diagnostic platforms, and controlled materials synthesis.
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, formal verification of scientific claims, 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, 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, 2017–2018.
Young "1000 Talents" Research Program in functional micro-/nanomaterials and active systems — Principal Investigator, 2015–2018.
Bioactive Ultrasound-Driven Microbubbles for Theranostics — BRICS STI Framework Programme; research contributor.
Rolled-Up Integrative Bioanalytic Microsystems for Single-Cell and Biological Applications — Volkswagen Foundation-supported collaborative program; research contributor.
Integrated Carbon Dioxide Capture, Conversion and Cycling — German BMBF iC4 Cluster; research contributor.
Biography:
Professor Alexander A. Solovev, PhD, is the Founding Director of the NanoTRIZ Innovation Institute in Brisbane, Australia — an internationally recognised materials scientist and interdisciplinary research leader working across nanotechnology, strain-engineered nanomembranes, active micro- and nanosystems, microfluidics, clean-energy microsystems, biomaterials, biosensing and research translation.
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 curriculum, and supervised doctoral, master's, undergraduate and postdoctoral researchers. His international research experience includes appointments at Harvard University, the University of Toronto, the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, the Technical University of Munich, and the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, together with research training at Princeton University and Columbia University. 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 doctoral and collaborative research contributed to foundational developments in strain-engineered rolled-up nanomembranes, catalytic microtubular engines, and three-dimensional micro-/nanoarchitectures. This early work on catalytic micro-/nanojets — conducted under Professor Oliver G. Schmidt's supervision at IFW Dresden — received Guinness World Records recognition as the World's Smallest Man-Made Jet Engine. His subsequent research expanded into magnetic and catalytic microrobotics, microfluidic transport systems, responsive microcapsules, biomedical imaging, biosensing, environmental technologies and membraneless fuel cells.
Academic Record:
H-index: 36
Citations: 6,700+
Peer-reviewed publications: 74
Total scholarly outputs: 80+
Corresponding-author publications: 21
Invited presentations: 30+
Principal-Investigator research awards: 6
PI funding secured: RMB 4.75 million (≈ AUD 1.0 million)
Completed PhD supervisions or co-supervisions: 6
Semester-long university course leadership: 7 years (2016–2023)
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
IOP Publishing / IOPscience Emerging Leader Award, Institute of Physics, UK (2018)
Shanghai "Dawn Program" Award (2016)
DSM Science & Technology Award Finalist, Zurich (2009)
STIBET-DAAD Prize, Technical University of Munich (2012)
DECHEMA Honourable Mention, Germany (2010)
PhD awarded magna cum laude, Chemnitz University of Technology (2012)
Graduate Student Supervisor "Best 10 Groups" Award, Fudan University (2021)
National Academic Olympiad, 1st Place in Theoretical Mechanics, Kyrgyzstan (2001)
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
Public Engagement
Faculty mentor recognition, Fudan University Top Ten "Three-Good" Graduate Student Team, Certificate of Honor (2021)
Coordinating role, Fudan–Skoltech Memorandum of Understanding (2021)
International nanotechnology commercialisation engagement, Jiangsu–Ontario Nanotech Innovation Center / Suzhou Industrial Park (2016–2018)
Invited visit, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT–Skoltech Initiative (2013)
Formal acknowledgment from the Lord Mayor of Brisbane regarding a proposed microfluidics innovation hub, with referral to the Brisbane Economic Development Agency (2025)
Invited expert commentator, Chinese national television, on clean-energy innovation and CO₂ conversion (2023)
Residency and formal engagements:
Permanent Residency for Recognised Scientist, People's Republic of China (2022)
Permanent Residency as a Highly Skilled Professional, Germany (2011)
Invited scientific-delegate meeting with Premier Li Keqiang, Great Hall of the People, Beijing (2016)
Formal acknowledgment from China's State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (2016)
Invited meeting with the Mayor of Shanghai (2016)
Shanghai foreign-expert and science/technology briefings (2018)
Strategic discussion with the Party Secretary of Hefei University on academic cooperation (2019)
Research Interests:
Professor Alexander Solovev is widely recognized as a pioneer in the field of man-made nanomachines, with more than 6,700 citations and an H-index of 36. His research group introduced the concept of strain-engineered nanomembranes, a transformative materials platform that integrates mechanical, electrical, optical and quantum functionalities within a single system, enabling unprecedented control over material geometry, strain and dynamic behaviour and leading to fundamentally new device architectures.
A landmark contribution of Professor Solovev's group was the development of one of the earliest self-propelled catalytic nanomotors, a breakthrough acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the World's Smallest Man-Made Jet Engine. This achievement helped catalyse a new research direction in nanoscience, opening pathways to autonomous nanoscale motion, non-equilibrium physics and active matter systems.
Building on these foundational advances, his research expanded into microfluidics and microscale systems for applications in biomedicine, energy conversion, materials science and environmental sustainability — treating geometry, strain and dynamics as active design variables rather than passive constraints. Core research topics include:
Strain-engineered nanomembranes for reconfigurable photonic, electronic and quantum devices
Catalytic nanomachines and micromotors for probing non-equilibrium physics and autonomous motion
Membraneless fuel cells with three-dimensional electrodes for efficient, environmentally clean energy conversion
Microfluidic droplets and capsules with adaptive biomedical, diagnostic and environmental functionalities
Photocatalytic hydrogel microcapsules for water purification and sustainability applications
Collectively, these advances establish new classes of functional matter with impact across materials science, clean-energy technologies, biomedicine and environmental science, bridging fundamental research with translational outcomes.
As Principal Investigator, Professor Solovev has secured RMB 4.75 million in competitive PI research funding from major international agencies (approximately RMB 6.4 million including Co-PI awards). Notable grants include the NSFC RFIS-II award for 3D-electrode membraneless clean-energy fuel cells, the NSFC International Scholar Grant for photocatalytic water purification, a BRICS STI Framework grant for ultrasound-driven microbubbles in theranostic applications, and Fudan University's "Zero to One" Program supporting energy harvesting in colloidal micromotors under non-equilibrium conditions.
Professor Solovev has supervised a diverse cohort of undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers. His teaching emphasises immersion in authentic scientific practice — progressing from rigorous conceptual foundations to real-world data analysis, open-ended case studies and interdisciplinary projects — through courses including Integrative Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and Microfluidics, Droplets and Capsules (Experimental). His mentees have received Outstanding Graduate Student recognitions, competitive national and international scholarships, and innovation-competition prizes, with former researchers progressing to Northwestern University, Cornell University, the Max Planck Institute, and professorial or industry appointments worldwide.
Selected Publications:
Mohan, B.; Virender; Gupta, R. K.; Pombeiro, A. J. L.; Solovev, A. A.; Singh, G. Advancements in metal-organic, enzymatic, and nanocomposite platforms for wireless sensors of the next generation. Advanced Functional Materials, 34, 2405231 (2024).
Mohan, B.; Singh, G.; Gupta, R. K.; Sharma, P. K.; Solovev, A. A.; Pombeiro, A. J. L. Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs): multifunctional material on analytical monitoring. TrAC – Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 170, 117436 (2024).
Chen, G.; Zhu, F.; Gan, A. S. J.; Mohan, B.; Dey, K. K.; Xu, K.; Huang, G.; Cui, J.; Solovev, A. A. Towards the next generation nanorobots. Next Nanotechnology, 2, 100019 (2023).
Yan, G.; Solovev, A. A.; Huang, G.; Cui, J.; Mei, Y. Soft microswimmers: material capabilities and biomedical applications. Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science, 61, 101609 (2022).
Zhao, Z.; Huang, G.; Kong, Y.; Cui, J.; Solovev, A. A.; Li, X.; Mei, Y. Atomic layer deposition for electrochemical energy: from design to industrialization. Electrochemical Energy Reviews, 5, 31–52 (2022).
Mujtaba, J.; Liu, J.; Dey, K. K.; Li, T.; Chakraborty, R.; Xu, K.; Makarov, D.; Solovev, A. A.; Mei, Y. Micro-bio-chemo-mechanical systems: micromotors, microfluidics, and nanozymes for biomedical applications. Advanced Materials, 33, 2007465 (2021).
Solovev, A. A.; Smith, E. J.; Bof'Bufon, C. C.; Sanchez, S.; Schmidt, O. G. Light-controlled propulsion of catalytic microengines. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 50, 10875–10878 (2011).
Mei, Y.; Solovev, A. A.; Sanchez, S.; Schmidt, O. G. Rolled-up nanotech on polymers: from basic perception to self-propelled catalytic microengines. Chemical Society Reviews, 40, 2109–2119 (2011).
Sanchez, S.; Solovev, A. A.; Harazim, S. M.; Schmidt, O. G. Microbots swimming in the flowing streams of microfluidic channels. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 133, 701–703 (2011).
Sanchez, S.; Solovev, A. A.; Schulze, S.; Schmidt, O. G. Controlled manipulation of multiple cells using catalytic microbots. Chemical Communications, 47, 698–700 (2011).
Solovev, A. A.; Sanchez, S.; Mei, Y.; Schmidt, O. G. Dynamics of biocatalytic microengines mediated by variable friction control. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 132, 13144–13145 (2010).
Solovev, A. A.; Sanchez, S.; Pumera, M.; Mei, Y.; Schmidt, O. G. Magnetic control of tubular catalytic microbots for the transport, assembly, and delivery of micro-objects. Advanced Functional Materials, 20, 2430–2435 (2010).
Solovev, A. A.; Mei, Y.; Bermúdez Ureña, E.; Huang, G.; Schmidt, O. G. Catalytic microtubular jet engines self-propelled by accumulated gas bubbles. Small, 5, 1688–1692 (2009).
Mei, Y.; Huang, G.; Solovev, A. A.; Bermúdez Ureña, E.; Mönch, I.; Ding, F.; Reindl, T.; Fu, R. K. Y.; Chu, P. K.; Schmidt, O. G. Versatile approach for integrative and functionalized tubes by strain engineering of nanomembranes on polymers. Advanced Materials, 20, 4085–4090 (2008).