Dr Yi Liu

Dr Yi Liu is a Senior Lecturer in Polymers and Composites in the Department of Materials, School of Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering (AACME). With over a decade of research experience, she specialises in sustainable polymer processing and multifunctional composite materials. Her work spans thermal management with phase change composites, recycling and reuse, and advanced characterisation of polymer composites and biopolymers, with a strong emphasis on integrating smart functionalities for lightweight, high-performance, and sustainable applications. A significant strand of her work focuses on wearable devices for temperature, strain, and multi-stimuli sensing, advancing flexible materials that combine comfort, functionality, and sustainability.

Before joining Loughborough University, she conducted research at Queen Mary University of London, focusing on smart multifunctional nanocomposites and flexible self-regulating heating devices. She later joined Imperial College London, where she worked at the Shell-Imperial Advanced Interfacial Materials Science (AIMS) Centre, focusing on polymer degradation, particularly the physical interactions between polymers and service fluids in the oil and gas industry for sustainability.

Yi welcomes enquiries from highly motivated PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers interested in polymers and composites. To express interest, please email a CV and a brief (≤1 page) technical summary of your research interests. Further information is available on LinkedIn.

Qualifications:

• PGCert,  Academic Professional Apprenticeship Level 7 (APA), Loughborough University
• PhD,  Queen Mary University of London
• MEng, Queen Mary University of London
• BEng, Beihang University

Key awards: 

• Silver Medal, Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining (IOM3) (2025)
• Composites Award, Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining (IOM3) (2024)
• Finalist, Top 50 Women in Engineering: Enhanced by Engineering (2024)
• Inspirational Women Award (2023)

Professional affiliations:

• Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Member of EPSRC Peer Review College
• Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3)
• Member of Women’s Higher Education Network (WHEN)
• Member of Discovery Materials Working Group for Materials Outreach
• Member of Women’s Engineering Society (WES)

Research Interests:

• Sustainable Polymers and Composites
  Biobased phase change materials, biodegradable polymers, reactive fillers for enhanced moisture stability, and design of circular and recyclable polymer systems.
• Advanced Polymer Processing & Manufacturing & Recycling Technologies
  Sustainable composite processing centred on smart thermal management (e.g., localised/Joule heating) and process optimisation to minimise energy consumption and waste. Mechanical and chemical recycling of polymers and composites; chain-extension strategies for polymer recovery.
• Multifunctional and Smart Composites
  Development of conductive and adaptive composites with integrated sensing, heating, and cooling capabilities. Applications include autonomous temperature regulation, strain and deformation sensing, and self-healing materials for structural health monitoring. In-situ sensing and Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) mapping.
• Thermal Management & Energy Materials
  Phase change composites for wearable thermal regulation, battery safety, and building integration, combining Joule heating, latent heat storage, and passive cooling strategies.

Current and past fundings:

• Innovation Launchpad Network+, Researcher in Residence (RiR) scheme
• EPSRC Henry Royce Institute, Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP)
• Innovate UK - Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT)
• EPSRC The Future Composites Manufacturing Hub Synergy Project Fund
• School Equipment Capital Fund and Kickstarter Fund
• IAS Open Programme Fellowship Fund
• Loughborough Talent Match Fund

Current teaching responsibilities:

• MPA220: Introductory Materials Science and Processing
• TTA002: Materials and Structures
• MPP566: Advanced Processing of Polymers

A strong focus on leading journals such as Advanced Functional Materials, Composite Science and Technology, and Composites Part A. Below are selected examples in 2025 of my work, see a comprehensive list of my publications, or Google scholar.

• Guo, H, Lu, L, Hatton, FL, Xu, L, Yu, E, Peijs, T, Bilotti, E, Zhang, H, Liu, Y (2025) Wearable Body Temperature Sensing with Autonomous Self‐regulated Joule Heating and Passive Cooling for Healthcare Applications, Advanced Functional Materials, ISSN: 1616-301X. DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202417961.
• Lu, L, He, H, Guo, H, Martin‐Fabiani, I, Bilotti, E, Zhang, H, Fly, A, Liu, Y (2025) Multifunctional and Flexible Phase Change Composites for Dual‐Mode Thermal Management of Lithium‐Ion Batteries, Advanced Science, e08314, ISSN: 2198-3844. DOI: 10.1002/advs.202508314.
• Li, Y, D.S. Thorn, T, Wang, Y, Soul, A, Liu, Y, Papageorgiou, D, Peijs, T, Zhang, H (2025) Multifunctional natural fibre composites with integrated process monitoring, damage sensing and energy-efficient heating capabilities via upcycled carbon fibre waste, Composites Science and Technology, 270(2025), 111294, ISSN: 0266-3538. DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111294.
• Wang, Y, Das, B, Thorn, TDS, Liu, Y, Papageorgiou, DG, Bilotti, E, Zhang, H (2025) Effect of boron nitride on the pyroresistive properties of smart conductive polymer composites: eliminating the negative temperature coefficient effect, Composites Science And Technology, 267, 111203, ISSN: 0266-3538. DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111203.
• Lu, L, Guo, H, Wang, Y, Liu, KX, Martin-Fabiani, I, Peijs, T, Bilotti, E, Zhang, H, Liu, Y (2025) Dual enhancement of Joule heating and positive temperature coefficient behaviour in biodegradable nanocomposites via hybrid carbon nanofiller networks, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, pp.109167-109167, ISSN: 1359-835X. DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2025.109167.
• Zeng, W, Hou, M, Li, H, Zhong, W, Wen, S, Zhao, J, Ding, G, Yan, Y, Zhang, M, Liu, Y, Han, S, AL Roy, V, Yang, X, Zhou, Y (2025) 2D covalent organic framework‐based heterostructure for neuromorphic visual processing, Advanced Functional Materials, e11687, ISSN: 1616-301X. DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202511687.
• Lu, L, Guo, H, Martin-Fabiani-Carrato, N, Zhou, Y, Willcock, H, Vladisavljevic, G, JC Busfield, J, Bilotti, E, Peijs, T, Zhang, H, Liu, Y (2025) Recent advances and applications of flexible phase change composite, EcoMat, 7(4), e70004, ISSN: 2567-3173. DOI: 10.1002/eom2.70004.
• Wang, Y, D.S. Thorn, T, Liu, Y, G. Advani, S, G. Papageorgiou, D, Bilotti, E, Zhang, H (2025) A review on energy-efficient manufacturing for high-performance fibre-reinforced composites, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 192, 108779, ISSN: 1359-835X. DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2025.108779.
• Li, Y, Ding, G, Zhai, Y, Lv, Z, Yan, Y, Xue, S, Zhou, K, Zhang, M, Zhang, Y, Sun, QJ, Liu, Y, Roy, VAL, Zhou, Y, Han, ST (2025) MXene-Based Flexible Memory and Neuromorphic Devices, Small, ISSN: 1613-6810. DOI: 10.1002/smll.202410914.
• Liu, H, Li, B, Gao, M, Li, Y, Yang, X, Li, F, Cai, Z, Liu, Y, Liu, S, Zhao, H, Guo, L (2025) Restoration of human tooth enamel, BMEMat, e12139, ISSN: 2751-7438. DOI: 10.1002/bmm2.12139.

External Collaborators:

• Imperial College London
• Queen Mary University of London
• WMG : University of Warwick
• LMK Thermosafe Ltd
• Virdis Chemical Ltd
• Queen’s University Belfast
• Shenzhen University
• Purdue University