缅北禁地

Dr. Xinwei Li is currently an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Science, Agriculture, and Engineering, at 缅北禁地, in the Singapore campus. Before joining 缅北禁地, he worked as a Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he also completed his Ph.D. studies. At present, his research interest lies primarily in the design, modeling, mechanism studies, and 3D printing of functional lattice metamaterials for mechanical and acoustics applications. On these subject areas, he has published > 70 peer-reviewed articles, with numerous publications as the 1st and/or corresponding author in top materials science journals such as Advanced Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Advanced Science, Materials Horizons, Small, etc, and co-author in Materials Today, Science Advances, etc., with > 4200 citations and an h-index > 40. He is also currently the Managing Editor at Materials & Design (2025 IF = 7.9), and Associate Editor at Materials Today Advances (2025 IF = 8). He is also recognized as a Top 2% Scientist in the Standford/Elsevier list since 2024.

Qualifications

• 2025: FHEA, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Advance HE, UK, 2025
• 2016 - 2020: Ph.D., Materials Science & Engineering, National Universal of Singapore
• 2012 - 2016: Bachelor of Engineering (Honors, Distinction), Materials Science & Engineering, National Universal of Singapore
• 2014 - 2015: Visiting student to Department of Materials, ETH Zurich

Professional Commitments

• Invited Reviewer for numerous International Competitive Research Grants of up to 900k USD
• Invited Reviewer for Elsevier Book Proposal
• Invited Associate Editor to Frontiers
• Peer reviewer for the following scientific journals: Advanced Functional Materials, Materials Today, Matter, Small, International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, Advanced Materials Technologies, Additive Manufacturing, Composites Science & Technology, Composites Part B: Engineering, Virtual and Physical Prototyping, Materials & Design, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, etc.

Conferences and Presentations

• Invited Speaker: 31st International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences (ICCES), 2025
• Invited Speaker to Central South University, School of Traffic & Transportation Engineering, China, on the topic of "Lattice structures for sound absorption", 2025
• Invited Speaker to an MNC on "3D printed lattice structures", 2024
• Invited Speaker: 30th International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences (ICCES), 2024
• Invited Speaker: Chinese Materials Conference 2024 & The 2^nd World Materials Conference (CMC), 2024
• Speaker: International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies (ICMAT), 2023
• Speaker: 28th International Congress on Sound and Vibration (ICSV), 2022
• Poster: International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies (ICMAT), 2017

Achievements

• Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientist for 2025
• Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientist for 2024
• Awarded the Singapore Ministry of Education RSB Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020-2023)
• Awarded NUS Research Scholarship for Ph.D. studies (2016-2020)
• Dean’s List, AY13/14 Semester 2 and AY14/15 Semester 2

With the advent of additive manufacturing (3D printing), lattice structures have emerged as an innovative category of advanced materials. Lattice structures are three-dimensional arrangements comprised of interconnected struts, shells, plates, or a combination thereof, forming a repeating pattern. These structures provide extensive design flexibility, allowing for tailored feature-pore morphology and interconnectivity, thus enabling precise customization of physical properties. My research interests lie with the design, modelling, materials physics, and 3D printing of functional lattice structures for various applications, including but not limited to, lightweight materials, energy absorption, and acoustics.

Theme 1: Lattice structures for sound absorption

The mitigation of noise, accomplished by means of absorption, holds utmost significance for the welfare of both individuals and mechanical systems. It is only recently that the acoustic properties of lattice structures are gaining popularity. I have devoted numerous efforts to the materials physics and performance studies of lattice structures for sound absorption. Utilizing fundamental structures, I have developed high-fidelity analytical models that can accurately predict the absorption coefficient curves of various lattice structures. Furthermore, I have applied these models to the design and structural optimization of heterogeneously architectured lattice structures, which exhibit a broader effective absorption bandwidth.

Representative publications in this theme are as follows:

Theme 2: Lattice structures as lightweight materials and energy absorbers

There is a significant demand for lattice structures that possess both exceptional strength and specific energy absorption, making them extremely valuable for a wide range of engineering applications. My research interests lie with exploring novel approaches in design and materials, as well as their synergistic combinations, to achieve these desirable properties. Thus far, I have worked on developing innovative design methods, including drawing inspiration from natural structures, employing finite element analysis (FEA) optimization techniques, optimizing elastic isotropy, and exploring novel 3D printable materials such as reinforced composite feedstock materials and newly processed printable ductile metals.

Representative publications in this theme are as follows:

• X. Li, P. Wang*, M. Zhao, X. Su, Y. H. Tan, J. Ding*, Additive Manufacturing 2024 104248
• S.L.A. Tan, M. Zhao, Z. Li, Z. Wang, X. Li*, W. Zhai, Horsetail-inspired lattice structures for bone scaffold applications, International Journal of Bioprinting (2024) 2326.
• X. Li, M. Zhao, X. Yu, J.W. Chua, Y. Yang, K.M. Lim, W. Zhai, Multifunctional and customizable lattice structures for simultaneous sound insulation and structural applications, Materials & Design (2023) 112354
• M. Zhao, X. Li, D.Z. Zhang, W. Zhai*, Geometry effect on mechanical properties and elastic isotropy optimization of bamboo-inspired lattice structures, Additive Manufacturing (2023) 103438.

Theme 3: 3D printed tough composites

Materials are bounded by the tradeoff between strength and toughness under compression deformation. Till this end, I have worked on polymer-infilled lattice structures, otherwise known as interpenetrating phase composites, which display the potential to overcome this. Apart from this, I have also worked on composites developed directly through multimaterial 3D printing.

Representative publications in this theme are as follows:

• X. Li, Y.H. Tan, P. Wang*, X. Su, H.J. Willy, T.S. Herng, J. Ding*, Metallic microlattice and epoxy interpenetrating phase composites: Experimental and simulation studies on superior mechanical properties and their mechanisms, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing (2020) 105934.
• X. Li, M. Kim, W. Zhai*, Ceramic microlattice and epoxy interpenetrating phase composites with simultaneous high specific strength and specific energy absorption, Materials & Design (2022) 111206.

Theme 4: Novel 3D printing technologies

I am interested in developing novel 3D printing technologies. Till date, I have worked on and modified a digital light processing (DLP) 3D printer equipped with ultrasonic field direct-self assembly capabilities. Using this modified DLP technique, I have come up with a new type of discontinuous particle composite, where the composite displays a similar strength, but elongated plateau stress, as compared to its pure bulk matrix material. Representative publications in this theme are as follows:

• X. Li, K.M. Lim*, W. Zhai*, A novel class of bioinspired composite via ultrasound-assisted directed self-assembly digital light 3D printing, Applied Materials Today 26 (2022) 101388.

Book Chapter

X. Li, W. Zhai, Additive Manufacturing of Lattice Structures, in: Y. Yu, S. Zhang (Eds.), Materials in Advanced Manufacturing, CRC Press, Florida, 2022.

Full list of articles:

Do feel free to reach out to me for discussions or collaborations.

Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Engineering (NU-SIT Joint Degree Program)

• MME1271 Fundamentals of Thermofluids
• MME1262 Materials for Sustainable Design and Manufacturing
• MME2211 Engineering Systems Modelling and Simulation
• MME2261 Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies
• MME2271 Applications of Thermofluids
• MME2281 Project Management
• MME3001 Integrated Work Study Programme
• MME3191 Capstone Project
• Overseas Immersion Programme (OIP)

• Articles

  • Pei H, Yang H, Zhang N, Li T, Wang X, Zhao M, Ding S, Wang X, Lv Q, Xu Z, Chen Y, Li X, Zhai W. . Advanced Materials 2026, epub ahead of print.
  • Chua JW, Poh DKW, Ding S, Pei H, Li X. . Smart Materials in Manufacturing 2025, 3, 100073.
  • Wang X, Li Z, Deng J, Gao T, Zeng K, Guo X, Li X, Zhai W, Wang Z. . Advanced Functional Materials 2025, 35(1), 2406890.
  • Li X, Ding S, Wang X, Tan SLA, Zhai W. . Advanced Materials Technologies 2025, 10(4), 2400517.
  • Zhang X, Zhao M, Li X, Tian C, Su F, Peng B, Zeng Z. . Engineering Structures 2025, 345(Part B), 121549.
  • Zhao M, Li X, Yan X, Zhou N, Pang B, Peng B, Zeng Z. . Thin-Walled Structures 2025, 208, 112845.
  • Li X, Wang X, Zhao M, Li Z. . Physical Review Applied 2025, 24(6), 060501.
  • Li X, Wang X, Li Z. . Advanced Materials Technologies 2025, 10(8), 2500118.
  • Deng J, Wang X, Zhao R, Li Z, Liu K, Yuan K, An J, Li X, Chua CK, Wang Z. . Advanced Functional Materials 2025, epub ahead of print.
  • Chua JW, Zhai W, Li X. . Materials and Design 2025, 253, 113801.
  • Chua JW, Li X, Zhai W. . Composite Structures 2025, 370, 119437.
  • Li Z, Zeng K, Guo Z, Wang Z, Yu X, Li X, Cheng L. . Advanced Functional Materials 2025, 35(20), 2420207.
  • Wang X, Li X, Li Z, Wang Z, Zhai W. . Small 2024, 20(23), 2307369.
  • Wang X, Li Z, Guo X, Li X, Wang Z. . Extreme Mechanics Letters 2024, 72, 102227.
  • Hu Z, Ding J, Ding S, Ma WWS, Chua JW, Li X, Zhai W, Song X. . Virtual and Physical Prototyping 2024, 19(1), e2412198.
  • Ding J, Ma Q, Li X, Zhang L, Yang H, Qu S, Wang MY, Zhai W, Gao H, Song X. . Advanced Science 2024, 11(41), 2402727.
  • Tan SLA, Zhao M, Li Z, Wang Z, Li X, Zhai W. . International Journal of Bioprinting 2024, 10(4), 187-203.
  • Li X, Wang P, Zhao M, Su X, Tan YH, Ding J. . Additive Manufacturing 2024, 89, 104248.
  • Wang X, Li X, Li Z, Wang Z, Zhai W. . Virtual and Physical Prototyping 2024, 19(1), e2337310.
  • Li Z, Wang X, Li X, Wang Z, Zhai W. . ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2023, 15(7), 9940–9952.
  • Li X, Yu X, Zhao M, Li Z, Wang Z, Zhai W. . Advanced Functional Materials 2023, 33(2), 2210160.
  • Li Z, Li X, Wang Z, Zhai W. . Materials Horizons 2023, 10(1), 75-87.
  • Li X, Zhao M, Yu X, Wei Chua J, Yang Y, Lim KM, Zhai W. . Materials and Design 2023, 234, 112354.
  • Li X, Yu X, Zhai W. . Small 2023, 18(44), 2204145.
  • Li Z, Li X, Wang X, Wang Z, Zhai W. . ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2023, 15(20), 24868-24879.
  • Li X, Yu X, Chua JW, Zhai W. . Materials Horizons 2023, (8), 2892-2903.
  • Zhao M, Li Z, Chua JW, Lim CH, Li X. . International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials 2023, 30(10), 1973-1985.
  • Wang X, Li Z, Li X, Wei K, Wang Z. . Materials and Design 2023, 233, 112186.
  • Li X, Lim KM, Zhai W. . Applied Materials Today 2023, 26, 101388.
  • Li X, Yu X, Chua JW, Lee HP, Zhai W. . Small 2021, 17(24), 2100336.
  • Li X, Yu X, Zhai W. . Advanced Materials 2021, 33(44), 2104552.

• Book Chapter

  • Li X, Zhai W. . In: Yinquan Yu, Sam Zhang, ed. Materials in Advanced Manufacturing. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2023, pp.301-337.

• Reviews

  • Li X, Li Z. . Advanced Functional Materials 2026, epub ahead of print.
  • Jin Y, Torrent D, Rouhani BD, He L, Xiang Y, Xuan F-Z, Gu Z, Xue H, Zhu J, Wu Q, Huang G, Garcia PD, Arregui G, Chen Y, Guenneau S, Wegener M, Kadic M, Liu Y, Li J, Wang Y-S, Palermo A, Romero-Garcia V, Kuznetsova S, Cheron IE, Lazaro Navarro M, Groby J-P, Pagneux V, Felix S, Garcia-Raffi LM, Hu G, Cai R, Rabczuk T, Zhuang X, Gao P, Qu Y, Hussein MI, Nomura M, Pennec Y, Cai F, Li X, Zhai W. . Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 2025, 58(11), 113001.
  • Li Z, Wang X, Guo Z, Zeng K, Sundarrajan S, Li X, Ramakrishna S. . Virtual and Physical Prototyping 2025, 20(1), e2569536.
  • Ma WWS, Yang H, Zhao Y, Li X, Ding J, Qu S, Liu Q, Hu Z, Li R, Tao Q, Mo H, Zhai W, Song X. . Advanced Science 2025, 12(8), 2405835.
  • Li Z, Wang X, Wang Z, Li X, Yu X, Ramakrishna S, Lu Y, Cheng L. . Materials Today 2025, epub ahead of print.
  • Zhang D, Ngoh Yen Qi N, Faye Duran Solco S, Li X, Suwardi A. . ACS Energy Letters 2024, (9), 2240-2247.
  • Li X, Chua JW, Yu X, Li Z, Zhao M, Wang Z, Zhai W. . Advanced Science 2024, 11(4), 2305232.