The Cao Group focuses on developing synthetic polymers, controlling their self-assembly behaviors, and understanding their fundamental properties. We aim to utilize the structures to develop nanomaterial that can be applied to combined chemo- and radiotherapy, and ionizing-radiation protection. Our goal is to create innovative materials for human health and space exploration. We use the tools of polymer chemistry, main group chemistry, catalysis, radiation physics, supramolecular chemistry, and nanotechnology to understand and overcome fundamental obstacles in utilizing ionizing radiation, protecting against radiation, and harvesting radiation energy.

本课题组基于“应用导向的分子设计”和“自然启发的材料探索”的策略，以助力人类生命健康为目标，聚焦辐射化学、高分子化学、超分子、催化和生物材料的交叉领域，致力于发展可用于放化疗结合、辐射保护等领域的新型软物质功能材料。诚挚欢迎有共同兴趣的老师、学生、公司或个人与我们实验室建立合作。

Recent News

• 
  Ruotong Deng Awarded National Natural Science Foundation of China Grant
  Congratulations to Ruotong Deng on receiving the 2025 National Natural Science Foundation of China Young Students Basic Research Grant (PhD track)! Her project, “Mesoporous Selenomelanin” has received 300,000 RMB in research support. This outstanding achievement underscores her exceptional research capabilities and tremendous academic potential. We wish her continued success in her academic journey within ourContinue reading “Ruotong Deng Awarded National Natural Science Foundation of China Grant”
• 
  Ruotong Deng Wins the 2025 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship!
  The final round of the Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship wrapped up on December 16. Lixia Liu talked about Targeting condensates to reduce tumor metastasis. Yuqing gave a nice overview on slef-immolative poly(thiocarbamate). Jian Wang delivery a talk on tumor-specific Sting agonist by prodrug dimer. Finally, Ruotong Deng gave the audience her insights on howContinue reading “Ruotong Deng Wins the 2025 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship!”
• 
  Cao Group Presented at the 2025 Polymer Congress in Guangzhou
  From November 22 to 25, 2025, Prof. Wei Cao attended the Polymer Congress in Guangzhou and delivered a talk at the Biomedical Symposium, sharing recent advances from his group in polymeric biomaterials. Four group members—Jian Wang, Yining Ou, Lixia Liu, and Wei Chen—presented their latest research through poster sessions, showcasing diverse progress across the lab’sContinue reading “Cao Group Presented at the 2025 Polymer Congress in Guangzhou”
• 
  Prof. Cao Delivered an Invited Talk at the Polymer Chemistry 2025
  From October 18 to 20, 2025, Prof. Wei Cao attended the International Symposium on Polymer Chemistry held in Changchun, China. He delivered an invited talk titled Selenomelanin Polymer Materials, presenting his group’s recent progress in developing selenium-containing polymeric biomaterials for biomedical applications. The presentation drew strong interest from attendees and sparked engaging discussions on theContinue reading “Prof. Cao Delivered an Invited Talk at the Polymer Chemistry 2025”
• 
  Prof. Cao Delivered an Lecture at ICCST-16 in Germany
  From August 26 to 29, 2025, Prof. Wei Cao attended the 16th International Conference on the Chemistry of Selenium and Tellurium (ICCST-16), held in Halle, Germany. He delivered an lecture titled Selenomelanin Polymer Materials, sharing his group’s recent advances in the design and application of selenium-containing biomaterials. The talk sparked active discussions and drew greatContinue reading “Prof. Cao Delivered an Lecture at ICCST-16 in Germany”
• 
  Prof Wei Cao Visited Freie Universität Berlin and Give a Talk
  On August 25th, 2025, Prof. Cao visited Freie Universität Berlin togther with Prof Huaping Xu from Tsinghua University and Hua Lu from Peking University. They were warmly hosted by Prof. Christian Hackenberger, Head of the Department of Chemical Biology. During the visit, Prof. Cao delivered a lecture on Polymer Materials for Chemo-Radiotherapies and Radiation ProtectionContinue reading “Prof Wei Cao Visited Freie Universität Berlin and Give a Talk”
• 
  Prof. K. Motovilov Gave a Talk on Melanin Hydration-Dependent Properties
  On July 21, 2025, Professor Konstantin Motovilov from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology visited Beijing Normal University and delivered a talk entitled “A Pancake Bond Model to Capture the Diverse Zoo of Melanin Hydration-Dependent Properties.” Professor Motovilov introduced his theory of pancake bonding, and the structural, transport, and magnetic properties of melanins withContinue reading “Prof. K. Motovilov Gave a Talk on Melanin Hydration-Dependent Properties”
• 
  Congratulations to Silin Peng on Admission to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill! 
  We are thrilled to announce that Silin Peng, an international student from the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China and a dedicated member of our research group, has earned admission to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill- one of America’s top pharmaceutical universities, to study chemistry and pharmacy. During her timeContinue reading “Congratulations to Silin Peng on Admission to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill! “
• 
  Round 4 of the 2025 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship
  On June 11, we held the repechage round of the 2025 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship! Topics ranged from protein chemistry and alternative polymerization to controlled depolymerization, hydrogen-evolving microdroplets, and responsive coacervates, photochemistry for organic semiconductors—plenty of cool science all around. Ruixin and Xinyue stood out with strong performances. Congrats to both! Can’t wait forContinue reading “Round 4 of the 2025 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship”
• 
  Wei at JCCC 2025 in Macau
  Wei Cao joined the JCCC on June 1-5, 2025, in Macau SAR, China. The conference is the Joint 18th International Conference on Calixarenes (Calix 2025) and 8th International Conference on Cucurbiturils (ICCB 2025). Wei delivered a talk on “Polymeric Biomaterials for Combined Chemo-Radio-therapies“. He also chaired a session in the Biomedical Applications subsession. Great science and great conversations allContinue reading “Wei at JCCC 2025 in Macau”
• 
  Zhang Xinyue Awarded Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis of Beijing Normal Univeristy
  Congratulations to Xinyue for her outstanding undergraduate thesis “Porous Selenomelanin for Radiation Protection”. This achievement highlights her innovative research in materials chemistry. We wish her continued success in her academic journey in our group.
• 
  Great Job at the Graduate Academic Conference
  Ruotong Deng and Lixia Liu delivered oral presentations at the 6th Graduate Academic Conference, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University. Prof. Cao chaired a session of the student talk. Ruotong’s excellent performance earned her the First Prize. Congratulations to both for representing our group so well!
• 
  Round 3 of the 2025 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship
  The third round of the 2025 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship was successfully held on May 15. This round featured a diverse array of research topics, including light-induced depolymerization of PMMA, microdroplets, coacervates for delivery and enzyme regulation, and photo-switchable hydrogels. Congratulations to Lixia and Yuqing for winning the round with their outstanding presentations. WeContinue reading “Round 3 of the 2025 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship”
• 
  Round Two of the 2025 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship!
  The second round of the Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship was held on April 24, showcasing groundbreaking research topics. Participants delivered compelling presentations on innovative subjects, including: Melanin for water purification, DNA photofluid technology, Ultrasound-induced drug delivery in the brain, Polymers for RNA delivery, Fluorogenic probes for immunotherapy. Following engaging and thought-provoking discussions, Ruotong Deng and Jian Wang were announced as the winners of the competition.Continue reading “Round Two of the 2025 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship!”
• 
  Round 1 of the 2025 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship
  The first round of the 2025 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship was successfully held on March 27, featuring exciting and cutting-edge research topics. Congratulations to Liang Yin and Chen Wei for winning the round with their impressive presentations. Looking forward to more inspiring performances in the upcoming rounds!
• 
  Lixia Liu Wins the 2024 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship!
  The final round of the Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship wrapped up on January 22 with two incredible presentations. Ruotong Deng gave the audience her insights on mesoporous materials, while Lixia Liu impressed everyone with her deep dive into azobenzene materials. Ultimately, Lixia came out on top as the champion, with Ruotong taking the runner-upContinue reading “Lixia Liu Wins the 2024 Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship!”
• 
  Zhang Ziwei and Xu Kangrui awarded the National Scholarship
  Zhang Ziwei and Xu Kangrui, undergraduate students in our research group, have been awarded the National Scholarship for the 2023-2024 academic year. Their dedication to academic excellence and research contributions are commendable. As they continue their academic journey, we extend our warmest wishes for their continued growth and success.
• 
  Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship Semifinals
  The semifinals of the Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship took place on January 10. Participants presented cutting-edge topics including radiation multi-omics, injectable hydrogels, light-triggered CO release, porous melanin, gold recovery, and protocell manipulation. After intense and insightful discussions, Ruotong Deng and Lixia Liu emerged as the competition’s winners. The competition reached new heights of academicContinue reading “Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship Semifinals”
• 
  Professor Wei Cao Presents Invited Talk at SICC-12 in Singapore
  Professor Cao attended the 12th Singapore International Chemistry Conference (SICC-12) held in Singapore, where he delivered an invited talk titled “Polymeric Biomaterials for Combined Chemo-Radiotherapies and Radiation Protection”. His presentation highlighted recent advances in the design and development of polymer-based materials for enhancing the efficacy of chemo-radiotherapies and providing radiation protection. His talk showcased theContinue reading “Professor Wei Cao Presents Invited Talk at SICC-12 in Singapore”
• 
  Professor Jun Ma Shares Advances in Radiation Catalytic Chemistry
  On December 13, 2024, Professor Jun Ma from the School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, delivered an insightful talk titled “Radiation Catalytic Chemistry” at the College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University. Professor Ma shared his cutting-edge research on radiation chemistry and its applications in many exciting fields. TheContinue reading “Professor Jun Ma Shares Advances in Radiation Catalytic Chemistry”
• 
  Third Group Stage of Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship Concludes
  The third group stage of the Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship has successfully concluded on December 6th, 2024. Participants showcased various fascinating topics, including self-repairing glass, peptide liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), self-powered robotics, photo-enzyme evolution, water purification, and NIR theranostics. Ruotong Deng and Lixia Liu excelled with their exceptional presentations, earning their places in theContinue reading “Third Group Stage of Cao Group Literature Presentation Championship Concludes”
• 
  Dr. Miles Miller Delivers Inspiring Talk on Imaging-Guided Drug Delivery
  On December 4, 2024, Dr. Miles A. Miller from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital delivered a captivating talk titled “Imaging to Guide Drug Delivery Using Radiation-Activated Therapeutics” via Zoom at the College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University. Dr. Miller, a leading expert in computational and experimental pharmacology, shared his team’s groundbreaking research onContinue reading “Dr. Miles Miller Delivers Inspiring Talk on Imaging-Guided Drug Delivery”
• 
  Prof. Tiancong Zhao Delivers Inspiring Talk on Mesoporous Nanomedicine at Cao Group
  On November 18, 2024, Dr. Tiancong Zhao from Fudan University gave a compelling talk titled “Self-Assembled Mesoporous Drug Nanomedicine” to an engaged audience of our group and the undergraduate class of Pharmaceutical Sciences major at Beijing Normal University. Dr. Zhao, an accomplished researcher in mesoporous material design and biomedical applications, shared his innovative work onContinue reading “Prof. Tiancong Zhao Delivers Inspiring Talk on Mesoporous Nanomedicine at Cao Group”
• 
  Dr. Yang Yang Presents on Soft Electroactive Materials at Cao Group
  On October 21, 2024, Dr. Yang Yang from Northwestern University delivered an enlightening talk at the Cao Group on his pioneering work in soft, sustainable ferroelectric materials. Dr. Yang, a key researcher in Professor Samuel I. Stupp’s lab, showcased a breakthrough in creating flexible nano-sized ribbons that can be charged to store energy or recordContinue reading “Dr. Yang Yang Presents on Soft Electroactive Materials at Cao Group”