Ruobing Bai
Assistant Professor,
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Office
- 203 SN
- 617-373-7150
Lab
- 103 MUGAR
Research Focus
Solid mechanics and large deformation; Damage, fracture, fatigue, debonding, strengthening, toughening, and adhesion; Stimuli-responsive actuation and instability; Multifunctional materials and sustainable materials; Multiphysical processes
About
Ruobing Bai is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University. He completed his bachelor, PhD, and postdoc training at Peking University, Harvard University, and California Institute of Technology, all in solid mechanics. He is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, ACS Petroleum Research Fund Doctoral New Investigator Award, EML Young Investigator Award, ASME Haythornthwaite Research Initiation Award, JMPS Best Referee Award, and Chun-Tsung Scholar of Peking University. He is currently a member of the Extreme Mechanics Letters (EML) Early Career Advisory Board and the secretary of the ASME “Mechanics of Soft Materials” technical committee. His research combines theory and experiment in solid mechanics, materials science, and other multiphysical processes in areas including but not limited to multifunctional materials, fracture, adhesion, strengthening and toughening, sustainable materials, soft robotics, human-machine interfaces, and energy storage systems.
Education
- Ph.D., Engineering Sciences, Harvard University, 2018
- B.S., Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Peking University, 2012
Honors & Awards
- NSF CAREER Award, National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Doctoral New Investigator Award, American Chemical Society (ACS) Petroleum Research Fund
- EML Young Investigator Award, Extreme Mechanics Letters (EML)
- Haythornthwaite Research Initiation Award, Applied Mechanics Division of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Best Poster Award, New England Workshop on the Mechanics of Materials and Structures (NEW.Mech)
- Haythornthwaite Student Travel Grants, Applied Mechanics Division of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- MPS Best Referee Award, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids (JMPS)
- Chun-Tsung Scholar, Peking University
Teaching Interests
ME 6320: Mechanics of Soft Materials, Spring Semester
ME 2355/2356: Mechanics of Materials, Fall Semester
ME 2340/2341: Introduction to Materials Science, Spring Semester
Leadership Positions
- Secretary (2025 – Now), Editor (2024), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) technical committee, Mechanics of Soft Materials
- Extreme Mechanics Letters (EML) Early Career Advisory Board, 2023 – Now
- Guest editor, Special Issue: Mechanics of Soft and Living Matter, Experimental Mechanics, 2025
- Editor, iMechanica Journal Club, 2024 – 2025
Professional Affiliations
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Society of Engineering Science
Society for Experimental Mechanics
Adhesion Society
American Physical Society
Research Overview
Solid mechanics and large deformation; Damage, fracture, fatigue, debonding, strengthening, toughening, and adhesion; Stimuli-responsive actuation and instability; Multifunctional materials and sustainable materials; Multiphysical processes
Research in the Bai group aims to combine theory and experiment in solid mechanics, materials science, and other multiphysical processes in areas including but not limited to multifunctional materials, fracture, adhesion, strengthening and toughening, sustainable materials, soft robotics, human-machine interfaces, and energy storage systems. The group have a strong background of theoretical modeling as well as modern laboratory facilities for material synthesis, fabrication, and characterization.
Bai Research Group
We constantly have various positions available in our group including undergraduate research, PhD, postdoc, and visiting student/scholar. You can find the most up-to-date information from our lab website. You are welcome to contact for further information. Please indicate your anticipated starting time.
Selected Research Projects
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
Journal Publications
34. Xu, L.; Penda, F.; Usmanova, Z.; Li, W.; Ihuaenyi, R.; Zhu, J.; Bai, R.; Xu, H. Exploring the role of stochasticity in lattice structures for crush energy absorption capabilities. Thin-Walled Structures, accepted.
33. Xiao, Y.; Zeng, Y.; Liu, B.; Bai, R.; Hong, W.; Yang, C. Prolonged fracture resistance of hydrogels through spontaneous network reconfiguration. Extreme Mechanics Letters 2025, 75, 102298.
32. Yin, Q.; Manav, Y. A.; Wan, Y.; Davaji, B.; Bai, R. Highly switchable and reversible soft sticky adhesives based on thermo-responsive phase separation. Extreme Mechanics Letters 2025, 75, 102293.
31. Usmanova, Z.; Bai, R. Peeling an architected interface: Roles of softness and fractoadhesive length in adhesion toughening. International Journal of Fracture 2025, 249, 18.
30. Wei, Z.; Bootwala, U. H.; Bai, R. Synthesis-processing-property relationships in thermomechanics of liquid crystal elastomers. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 2024, 105977.
29. Wan, Y.; Yin, Q.; Zhang, P.; Yang, C.; Bai, R. Interfacial fatigue fracture of pressure sensitive adhesives. Extreme Mechanics Letters 2024, 72, 102248.
28. Anssari-Benam, A.; Wei, Z.; Bai, R. Modelling the deformation of polydomain liquid crystal elastomers as a state of hyperelasticity. Journal of Elasticity 2024, 156 (2), 387-413.
27. Wang, Y.; Wei, Z.,; Ji, T.; Bai, R.; Zhu, H. Highly ionic conductive, stretchable, and tough ionogel for flexible solid-state supercapacitor. Small 2023, 2307019.
26. Cao, D.; Ji, T.; Wei, Z.; Liang, W.; Bai, R.; Burch, K. S.; Geiwitz, M.; Zhu, H. Enhancing lithium stripping efficiency in anode-free solid-state batteries through self-regulated internal pressure. Nano Letters 2023, 23 (20), 9392-9398.
25. Wei, Z.; Wang, P.; Bai, R. Thermomechanical coupling in polydomain liquid crystal elastomers. Journal of Applied Mechanics 2023, 91 (2).
24. Xiao, Y.; Li, Q.; Yao, X.; Bai, R.; Hong, W.; Yang, C. Fatigue of amorphous hydrogels with dynamic covalent bonds. Extreme Mechanics Letters 2022, 53, 101679.
23. Wei, Z.; Bai, R. Temperature-modulated photomechanical actuation of photoactive liquid crystal elastomers. Extreme Mechanics Letters 2022, 51, 101614.
22. Bai, R.; Ocegueda, E.; Bhattacharya, K. Photochemical-induced phase transitions in photoactive semicrystalline polymers. Physical Review E 2021, 103 (3), 033003.
21. Hua, M.; Kim, C.; Du, Y.; Wu, D.; Bai, R.; He, X. Swaying gel: Chemo-mechanical self-oscillation based on dynamic buckling. Matter 2021, 4 (3), 1029-1041.
20. Bai, R.; Teh, Y. S.; Bhattacharya, K. Collective behavior in the kinetics and equilibrium of solid-state photoreaction. Extreme Mechanics Letters 2021, 43, 101160.
19. Bai, R.; Bhattacharya, K. Photomechanical coupling in photoactive nematic elastomers. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 2020, 144, 104115.
18. Yang, J.; Steck, J.; Bai, R.; Suo, Z. Topological adhesion ii. Stretchable adhesion. Extreme Mechanics Letters 2020, 40, 100891.
17. Chen, B.; Yang, J.; Bai, R.; Suo, Z. Molecular staples for tough and stretchable adhesion in integrated soft materials. Advanced Healthcare Materials 2019, 0 (0), 1900810.
16. Yang, J.; Bai, R.; Li, J.; Yang, C.; Yao, X.; Liu, Q.; Vlassak, J. J.; Mooney, D. J.; Suo, Z. Design molecular topology for wet–dry adhesion. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2019, 11 (27), 24802-24811.
15. Yang, J.; Bai, R.; Chen, B.; Suo, Z. Hydrogel adhesion: A supramolecular synergy of chemistry, topology, and mechanics. Advanced Functional Materials 2019, 0 (0), 1901693.
14. Bai, R.; Yang, J.; Morelle, X. P.; Suo, Z. Flaw-insensitive hydrogels under static and cyclic loads. Macromolecular Rapid Communications 2019, 40 (8), e1800883.
13. Bai, R.; Chen, B.; Yang, J.; Suo, Z. Tearing a hydrogel of complex rheology. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 2019, 125, 749-761.
12. Bai, R.; Yang, J.; Suo, Z. Fatigue of hydrogels. European Journal of Mechanics – A/Solids 2019, 74, 337-370.
11. Sun, M.; Bai, R.; Yang, X.; Song, J.; Qin, M.; Suo, Z.; He, X. Hydrogel interferometry for ultrasensitive and highly selective chemical detection. Advanced Materials 2018, 0 (0), 1804916.
10. Morelle, X. P.; Illeperuma, W. R.; Tian, K.; Bai, R.; Suo, Z.; Vlassak, J. J. Highly stretchable and tough hydrogels below water freezing temperature. Advanced Materials 2018, 30 (35), 1801541.
9. Wang, Z.; Tang, J.; Bai, R.; Zhang, W.; Lian, T.; Lu, T.; Wang, T. A phenomenological model for shakedown of tough hydrogels under cyclic loads. Journal of Applied Mechanics 2018, 85 (9), 091005-091005-091008.
8. Yang, J.; Bai, R.; Suo, Z. Topological adhesion of wet materials. Advanced Materials 2018, 30 (25), 1800671.
7. Zhang, E.; Bai, R.; Morelle, X. P.; Suo, Z. Fatigue fracture of nearly elastic hydrogels. Soft Matter 2018, 14 (18), 3563-3571, 10.1039/C8SM00460A.
6. Qin, M.; Sun, M.; Bai, R.; Mao, Y.; Qian, X.; Sikka, D.; Zhao, Y.; Qi, H. J.; Suo, Z.; He, X. Bioinspired hydrogel interferometer for adaptive coloration and chemical sensing. Advanced Materials 2018, 1800468.
5. Bai, R.; Yang, J.; Morelle, X. P.; Yang, C.; Suo, Z. Fatigue fracture of self-recovery hydrogels. ACS Macro Letters 2018, 312-317.
4. Morelle, X. P.; Bai, R.; Suo, Z. Localized deformation in plastic liquids on elastomers. Journal of Applied Mechanics 2017, 84 (10), 101002.
3. Bai, R.; Yang, Q.; Tang, J.; Morelle, X. P.; Vlassak, J.; Suo, Z. Fatigue fracture of tough hydrogels. Extreme Mechanics Letters 2017, 15, 91-96.
2. Bai, R.; Suo, Z. Optomechanics of soft materials. Journal of Applied Mechanics 2015, 82 (7), 071011-071011-071019.
1. Liu, Y.; Lv, P.; Ma, J.; Bai, R.; Duan, H. L. Stress fields in hollow core–shell spherical electrodes of lithium ion batteries. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Science 2014, 470 (2172).
Book Chapters
1. Yang, J.; Bai, R. Mechanics of wet adhesion. Mechanics of Flexible and Stretchable Electronics, 2024; pp 345-372.
Patents
3. Bai, R.; Wei, Z.; Wan, Y.; Usmanova, Z.; Yin, Q. Tough and switchable liquid crystalline pressure-sensitive adhesives. U.S. Provisional Patent 2024, App. 63/685,073.
2. Bai, R.; Yin, Q.; Wan, Y. Thermo-switchable pressure-sensitive adhesives. U.S. Patent 2024, App. 18/830,163.
1. Yang J.; Bai, R.; Suo, Z. Topological adhesion of materials. U.S. Patent 2021, App. 17/048,803.
Oct 03, 2025
Fall 2025 PEAK Experiences Awardees for Undergrad Research
Several COE, COS, and Khoury students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Fall 2025 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Mar 13, 2025
NSF CAREER Award To Develop Stronger and More Versatile Adhesives
MIE Assistant Professor Ruobing Bai received a $650,000 NSF CAREER Award to improve the functionality of soft sticky adhesive materials so that they do not easily crack or break and can rapidly switch between adhesive and non-adhesive states.
Feb 25, 2025
PhD Student Wins Alan Gent Distinguished Student Paper Award
Zumrat Usmanova, PhD’27, mechanical engineering, who is advised by Ruobing Bai, assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, was recognized with the highly competitive Alan Gent Distinguished Student Paper Award from The Adhesion Society.
Feb 07, 2025
Spring 2025 PEAK Experiences Awardees for Undergrad Research
Several COE, COS, and Khoury students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Spring 2025 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Jan 17, 2025
Improving the Strength and Toughness of Soft Materials
MIE Assistant Professor Ruobing Bai, in collaboration with Michigan State University, is leading a $705,664 NSF grant for the “Mechanics of End-Linked Polymer Networks With Strain-Induced Crystallization Regulated by Topological Defects.” The research will facilitate emerging applications such as soft robotics, medical devices, and wearable electronics.
Jun 05, 2024
Developing Next-Generation Durable and Sustainable Polymers
MIE Assistant Professor Ruobing Bai received a $110,000 Doctoral New Investigator (DNI) grant from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund for “Fracture and Toughening of Reconfigurable Polymers: Towards Next-Generation Durable and Sustainable Materials.”
May 08, 2024
2024 URF Scholars Recipients
Several engineering students received 2024 URF Scholars Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. URF Scholars are students who are graduating this year and who have earned a PEAK Experiences Award, applied for a distinguished fellowship, or participated in graduate school advising.
May 07, 2024
Summer 2024 PEAK Experiences Awardees for Undergrad Research
Several engineering and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Summer 2024 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Dec 22, 2022
Inaugural AJC Merit Research Scholars for Research Co-ops at Northeastern
Several engineering and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the inaugural AJC Merit Research Scholars from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. It provides exceptional students with the opportunity to pursue STEM research co-ops in the laboratories of Northeastern University faculty.
Nov 18, 2022
Bai Receives EML Young Investigator Award
MIE Assistant Professor Ruobing Bai is a recipient of the 2022 Extreme Mechanics Letters (EML) Young Investigator Award for his paper “Temperature-modulated Photomechanical Actuation of Photoactive Liquid Crystal Elastomers.”