Professor Le is a deputy director of The Future Laboratory of Tsinghua University, engaged in biomimetic nanocomposites, multifunctional surface coatings, lightweight fiber-reinforced composites and digital manufacturing research.

Professor Le was admitted to the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Tsinghua University in 1985 majoring in inorganic non-metallic materials, received a bachelor's degree of engineering in 1989, and received a doctorate in engineering in March 1994. Prior to returning to Tsinghua University, he joined the University of Surrey in 1996, then the University of Cambridge in 1997 as a postdoctoral researcher. He was promoted to Senior Research Associate at Cambridge in 2000. He became a lecturer at the University of Dundee in 2005, then an associate professor at Plymouth University in 2011 and then professor at the University of Derby in 2015. He has led or participated in about twenty research projects funded by EU, EPSRC and Innovate UK and published over 120 scientific papers. Professor Le became a Member of Tribology Group Committee of the Institution of the Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) In March 2015, Fellow of the Institution of Materials Minerals and Mining (FIMMM) in July 2018 and Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE) in October 2018. He was awarded the Best Paper Award by the Journal of Tribology of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in 2003 and the Best Presentation Certificate in the 2nd International Conference on Materials and Design in 2020 (MatDes2020).

Latest publication

• Marzena Pawlik, Huirong Le, Paul Wood, Yiling Lu. Prediction of carbon nanotubes reinforced interphase properties in fuzzy fibre reinforced polymer via inverse analysis and optimisation. Computational Materials Science. Vol 231, 5 January 2024, 112548.

  
  

• Hongwei Chen, Kaibao Wang, Yao Chen, Huirong Le *. Mechanical and thermal properties of multilayer coated 3D printed carbon fiber reinforced nylon composite. MDPI Journal of Composites Sciences 2023, 7(7), 297.

  
  

• Chonghai Deng*, Xiaohui Ling, Lulu Peng, Tao Wang, Rui Xu, Yibin Zhu, Wenlong Zhang, Peipei Sun, Yiping Wu, Hanmei Hu, Yongsheng Han*, Huirong Le*. Constructing nano CdS-decorated porous biomass-derived carbon for multi-channel synergetic photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under solar lighting. Applied Surface Science. 2023, 157065.

  
  

• Qingxin Wei, Yang Liu, Huirong Le. Mechanical properties and thermal stability of mullite fibre reinforced phosphoric acid activated metakaolinite geopolymer composites. MDPI Materials，15 (12), 4185, 2022

  
  

• Chonghai Deng*, Tao Wang, Fan Ye, Xiaohui Ling, Lulu Peng, Hanmei Hu, Hong Yu, Kangze Ding, Yongsheng Han*, Huirong Le*. Construction of 0D/2D CuO/BiOBr hierarchical heterojunction for the enhanced photocatalytic degradation of benzene-containing pollutants under visible light, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 10 (3), paper no. 107365, 2022.

  
  

• Marzena Pawlik, Lyddia Yi Yu Cheah, Urvashi Gunputh, Huirong Le*, Paul Wood, Yiling Lu*. Surface engineering of carbon fibre/epoxy composites with woven steel mesh for adhesion strength enhancement, International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives. 114, paper no. 103105, 2022.

Past Papers

• Marzena Pawlik, Yiling Lu, Huirong Le*. Effects of surface modification and graphene nanoplatelet reinforcement on adhesive joint of aluminium alloys. International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, 99(2020), 102591.
  

  
  

• Chonghai Deng, Fan Ye, Tao Wang, Xiaohui Ling, Lulu Peng, Hong Yu, Kangzhe Ding, Hanmei Hu, Qiang Dong, Huirong Le, Yongsheng Han*, Developing hierarchical CdS/NiO hollow heterogeneous architectures for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Nano Research (2021). DOI: 10.1007/s12274-021-3960-4

  
  

• Deng, C.H., Hu, H. M., Yu, H., Ci, M. Y., Wang, M., Le, H. 1D hierarchical CdS NPs/NiO NFs heterostructures with synergistic enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light. Advanced Powder Technology 31(2020)3158-3167.

  
  

• Yuan Fang, Aoxuan Wang, Keze He, Hongying Pan, Jiajun Liao, Zhu Ding, Feng Xing, Huirong Le , Xianfeng Wang, Property evolution of geopolymer composites with SiC whiskers loaded with BN coating at elevated temperatures. Construction and Building Materials, 309(2021), 125130.

  
  

• Urvashi F. Gunputh, Huirong Le*, Alexandros Besinis, Christopher Tredwin and Richard D. Handy*. Antibacterial properties of in-situ grown silver nanoparticles anchored by titanium dioxide nanotubes on titanium implant against Staphylococcus aureus. Nanotoxicology, 14(2020) 97-110.

  
  

• Ranj Nadhim Salaie, Alexandros Besinis, Huirong Le, Christopher Tredwin, Richard D. Handy*. The biocompatibility of silver and hydroxyapatite coatings on titanium dental implants with human primary osteoblast cells. Materials Science and Engineering C -Materials for Biological Applications, 107(2020), 110210.

  
  

• K. Lawton, H. R. Le*, C. Tredwin, R. Handy*. Carbon nanotube-reinforced hydroxyapatite nanocomposites as bone implants: nanostructure, mechanical strength and biocompatibility. International Journal of Nanomedicine, 14(2019):7947-7962.

  
  

• Marzena Pawlik, Huirong Le, Yiling Lu*. Effects of the graphene nanoplatelets reinforced interphase on mechanical properties of carbon fibre reinforced polymer – a multiscale modelling study. Composite Part B: Engineering, 177 (2019), paper no. 107097.

  
  

• Maozhou Meng, Andrew Leech, Huirong Le*. Mechanical properties and tribological characterisation of electroless nickel phosphorous coatings on iron-based corrosion resistant alloys under ultrahigh contact stresses. Tribology International, 139 (2019) 59-66.

  
  

• Hanmei Hu, Chonghai Deng, Man Wang; Jiayi Xu; Yiping Wu; Qiang Dong; Huirong Le. Facile template-free synthesis of hierarchically porous NiO hollow architectures for high-efficiency adsorptive removal of Congo red. Journal of Porous Materials, 26 (2019), 1743-1753.

  
  

• Urvashi F. Gunputh, Alexandros Besinis, Huirong Le*, Christopher Tredwin and Richard D. Handy. Multi-layered composite coatings of titanium dioxide nanotubes decorated with zinc oxide and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles: Controlled release of Zn and antimicrobial property against Staphylococcus aureus. International Journal of Nanomedicine, 14 (2019) 3583-3600.

  
  

• Changan Tian*, Dongdong Ji, Jie Yang, Jinsong Xie, Qiyi Yin, Huirong Le*. Synthesis and characterization of W and Ba co-doped La2Mo2O9 by sol-gel process for solid oxide fuel cells. Journal of Rare Earths, 37 (2019), 984-988.

  
  

• U Gunputh, H. R. Le*, R Handy, C Tredwin. Anodised TiO2 nanotubes as a scaffold for antibacterial silver nanoparticles on titanium implant. Materials Science & Engineering: C- Materials for Biological Applications, 91(2018) 638-644.

  
  

• Hanmei Hu*, Jian Wang, Chonghai Deng*, Xiaoyu Zhou, Cheng Niu, Huirong Le. Microwave-assisted controllable synthesis of hierarchical CuS nanospheres displaying fast and efficient photocatalytic activity. Journal of Materials Science, 53 (2018) 14250-14261.

  
  

• H. M. Hu*, J. J. Xu, C. H. Deng, M. Wang, X. Y. Zhou and H. R. Le. 3D multilayered Bi4O5Br2 nanoshells displaying excellent visible light photocatalytic degradation behavior for resorcinol. IET Micro & Nano Letters, 13(2018) 1121-1125.

  
  

• Hanmei Hu*, Man Wang, Chonghai Deng*, Jianli Chen, Aiguo Wang , Huirong Le. Satellite-like CdS nanoparticles anchoring onto porous NiO nanoplates for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic properties. Materials Letters, 224(2018) 75-77.

  
  

• R Sieh, H R Le*, “Evaluation of environmentally friendly Ag-PTFE composite coating for use in threaded compression fittings”. Proc IMechE Part J: Journal of Engineering Tribology, 232(2018), pp.503-512.

  
  

• M Meng, H. R. Le*. Tribological Properties of Nanoceramics Reinforced Polyimide Nanocomposite Coatings on Steels. International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology, 14(2018) 1013-1019.

  
  

• K. Collins*, H. R. Le, D. Greaves, N. Bellamy. Modelling of the Buckling of a Diaphragm / Spine Structure for a Wave Energy Converter. Materials & Design 119 (2017) 159-170.

  
  

• A. Besinis, S. D. Hadi, H. Le, C. Tredwin, R. Handy*. Antibacterial activity and biofilm inhibition by surface modified titanium alloy medical implants following application of silver, titanium dioxide and hydroxyapatite nanocoatings. Nanotoxicology , 11 (2017) 327-338.

  
  

• R. Sieh, H. R. Le*, "Non-Cyanide Electrodeposited Ag–PTFE Composite Coating Using Direct or Pulsed Current Deposition ", MDPI Coatings, 2016. doi: 10.3390/coatings6030031.

  
  

• P. Manikandan, R. Sieh, A. Elayaperumal, H. R. Le*, and S. Basu, "Micro/Nanostructure and Tribological Characteristics of Pressureless Sintered Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Aluminium Matrix Composites," Journal of Nanomaterials, vol. 2016, Article ID 9843019.

  
  

• M Meng, H Le*, S Grove, MJ Rizvi, “Moisture effects on the bending fatigue of laminated composites”, Composite Structures 154 (2016) 49-60.

  
  

• M Meng, MJ Rizvi, HR Le*, SM Grove. Multi-scale modelling of moisture diffusion coupled with stress distribution in CFRP laminated composites. Composite Structures 138(2016) 295-304.

  
  

• M. Meng, M.J. Rizvi, S.M. Grove, H.R. Le*. Effects of hygrothermal stress on the failure of CFRP composites. Composite Structures 133(2015) 1024-1035.

  
  

• H. R. Le*, K Collins, D. Greaves, N Bellamy. Mechanics and Materials in the Design of a Buckling Diaphragm Wave Energy Converter. Materials & Design, 79 (2015) 86-93.

  
  

• M. Meng*, H.R. Le, M.J. Rizvi, S.M. Grove. The effects of unequal compressive/tensile moduli of composites. Composite Structures, 126 (2015) 207–215.

  
  

• M. Meng*, H.R. Le, M.J. Rizvi, S.M. Grove. 3D FEA modelling of laminated composites in bending and their failure mechanisms, Composite Structures, 119 (2015) 693-708.

  
  

• H. R. Le*. F. Stewart, J A Williams. A Simplified Model of Surface Burnishing and Friction in Repeated Make-up of Premium Tubular Connections, Tribology Letters, 59:35, 2015.

  
  

• R Sieh, H R Le*, A Cree. Process optimisation of non-cyanide Ag-PTFE metal matrix composite plating for threaded connections. Transactions of the Institute of Materials Finishing, 93:5 (2015) 232-240.

  
  

• K Natesan, W Shah, H R Le*, R Moate, C Tredwin. A Critical Comparison on Biocompatibility of Different Phases of Sol-gel Derived Calcium Phosphates as Bone Graft Materials. Journal of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering，5(2015) 655-664.

  
  

• U Danookdharree, H. R. Le*, C. Tredwin. The effect of initial etching sites on the morphology of anodised TiO2nanotubes on Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 162 (2015) RE213-222.

  
  

• H. R. Le*, K. Natesan, S. Pranti-Haran. Mechanical Property and Biocompatibility of Co-precipitated Nano Hydroxyapatite-Gelatine Composites. Journal of Advanced Ceramics 4(2015) 1-7.