Brown University, Providence, RI       

Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

• Understanding mechanical behavior of novel materials, especially their friction, adhesion and wear properties at small scales.

• Quantitatively studying how nano-scale material properties affect surface interactions at multiple length scales and/or under complex conditions.

• Developing new experimental protocols and instruments to better characterize mechanical/tribological behavior at different length scales.

• Mechanism-based multi-scale modeling of tribological behavior.
  

Research Scientist (2010-present), Postdoctoral Researcher (2008-2010), Carpick Nanotribology Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, 2008-present (more details...)

Research Assistant/Associate, Nano and Micro Mechanics Laboratory, Brown University, 2003-2008 (more details...)

Research Assistant, Key Laboratory of Failure Mechanics, Tsinghua University, China, 2001-2003 (more details...)

• Li, Q., Dong, Y., Martini, A. & Carpick, R. W. 2011 Atomic friction modulation on the reconstructed Au (111) surface. Tribology Letters, (Online First) / doi: 10.1007/s11249-011-9824-4. (pdf)

• Dong, Y., Li, Q., Wu, J. & Martini, A. 2011 Friction, slip and structural inhomogeneity of the buried interface. Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering, 19, 065003 / doi: 10.1088/0965-0393/19/6/065003. (pdf)

• Dong, Y., Martini, A., Li, Q., & Carpick, R.W. 2011 Atomic friction studied by modeling the buried interface. Tribology & Lubrication Technology, 67(5), 17-19. (pdf) 

• Yang, L., Chinthapenta1, V., Li, Q., Stout, D., Liang, A., Sheldon, B.W. & Webster, T.J. 2011 Understanding osteoblast responses to stiff nanotopographies through experiments and computational simulations. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, 97A(4), 375-382 / doi: 10.1002/jbm.a.33094. (pdf)

• Li, Q., Dong, Y., Perez, D., Martini, A. & Carpick, R.W. 2011 Speed dependence of atomic stick-slip friction in optimally matched experiments and molecular dynamics simulations: The role of dynamics vs. energetics. Physical Review Letters, 106, 216101 / doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.126101. (pdf)
  

  *** This paper was chosen as Editors' Suggestion.

• Li, Q., Lee, C., Carpick, R.W. & Hone, J. 2010 Substrate effect on thickness-dependent friction on graphene. Physica Status Solidi B., 247(11-12), 2909-2914 / doi: 10.1002/pssb.201000555. (pdf)

• Lee, C., Li, Q., Kalb, W., Liu, X., Berger, H. Carpick, R.W. & Hone, J. 2010 Frictional characteristics of atomically-thin sheets. Science, 328(5974), 76-80 / doi: 10.1126/science.1184167. (pdf)
  
  *** Lee, C. and Li, Q. contributed equally to this work. 
  *** This work has been highlighted by Nature Nanotechnology, Materials Research Society, The American Ceramic Society, ScienceDaily, PhysOrg, Futurity, PennMedia.

• Lee, C., Wei, X., Li, Q., Carpick, R.W., Kysar, J.W. & Hone, J. 2009 Elastic and frictional properties of graphene. Physica Status Solidi B, 246(11-12), 2562-2567 / doi:10.1002/pssb.200982329.(pdf)

• Li, Q. & Kim, K.-S. 2009 Micromechanics of rough surface adhesion: a homogenized projection method. Acta Mechanica Solida Sinica, 22(5), 377-390 / doi:10.1016/S0894-9166(09)60288-3. (pdf)

• Li, Q. & Kim, K.-S. 2008 Micromechanics of friction: effects of nanometer-scale roughness. Proceedings of the Royal Society A, 464(2093), 1319-1343 / doi:10.1098/rspa.2007.0364. (pdf)

• Li, Q., Kim, K.-S. & Rydberg, A. 2006 Lateral force calibration of an atomic force microscope with a dia- magnetic levitation spring system. Review of Scientific Instruments, 77, 065105 / doi:10.1063/1.2209953. (free access)
  
  *** This article was selected for the June 15, 2006 issue of Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research and June 26, 2006 issue of Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science & Technology. Both virtual journals are published by the American Institute of Physics and the American Physical Society in cooperation with numerous other societies and publishers; they can be accessed at http://www.vjbio.org and http://www.vjnano.org. 

• Huang, S., Li, Q., Feng, X. & Yu, S. 2006 Pattern instability of a soft elastic thin film under van der Waals forces. Mechanics of Materials, 38, 88-99 / doi:10.1016/j.mechmat.2005.05.012. (pdf)

• Li, Q. & Yu, S. 2004 A model for computational investigation of elasto-plastic normal and tangential contact considering adhesion effect. Acta Mechanica Sinica, 20, 165-171 / doi:10.1007/BF02484261. (pdf)

• Li, Q. & Yu, S. 2002 A model of computation of elastic and plastic contact considering adhesion effect. International Journal of Nonlinear Sciences and Numerical Simulation, 3(3-4), 599-602.
  

• Li, Q., Goldsby, D., Tullis, T.E. & Carpick, R.W. 2011 On the origins of rate and state friction: Frictional ageing of rock materials explored via single-asperity experiments (poster presentation), Future Directions in Mechanics Research: NSF Workshop and Symposium in honor of Professor L. B. Freund, Providence, Rhode Island.
  

  *** The poster was awarded Third Prize for the poster session competition.

• Li, Q., Carpick, R.W., Dong, Y. & Martini, A. 2011 Atomic stick-slip friction studied by optimally-matched experiments and simulations, 66th Annual Meeting, Society of Tribologists & Lubrication Engineers, Atlanta, Georgia.

• Li, Q., Carpick, R.W., Goldsby, D. & Tullis, T.E. 2011 A physical basis for frictional ageing using single-asperity measurements, American Physical Society March Meeting 2011, Dallas, Texas.

  *** Li, Q. also served as the Chair for Session-H14: Friction, Fracture and Deformation Across Length Scales I: Sliding Friction and Asperities.

• Li, Q. 2011 Frictional strength of materials: From atomically-thin sheets to tectonic plates, Invited talk, Northwestern University, Illinois.

• Li, Q., Bares, J., Carpick, R.W. 2010 Nanomechanics at interfaces: Friction, adhesion, lubrication and wear at the nanometer scale, Philadelphia Section Meeting, Society of Tribologists & Lubrication Engineers, Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania.

• Li, Q. 2010 Frictional characteristics of atomically-thin sheets: Thick can be slick, Invited talk, Workshop: Success Strategies for Emerging Faculty, The University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware.

• Li, Q., Carpick, R.W., Dong, Y. & Martini, A. 2010 Quantitative study of atomic-scale stick-slip friction: experiment, 65th Annual Meeting, Society of Tribologists & Lubrication Engineers, Las Vegas, Nevada.

• Li, Q. 2010 Friction on the small scales: measuring, understanding, and predicting, Invited talk, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.

• Li, Q. 2009 Probing the mechanisms of friction with atomic force microscopy. Invited Talk, Jinan University, Guanzhou, Guangdong, China.

• Li, Q., Carpick, R.W., Goldsby, D. & Tullis, T.E. 2009 Probing the mechanisms of rock friction at the nanometer scale with atomic force microscopy, American Geophysical Union 2009 Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California.
  

• Li, Q. 2009 From the atomic to the tectonic: nano-scale friction and earthquake. NanoTalk, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• Li, Q., Carpick, R.W., Lee, C. & Hone, J.C. 2009 Quantitative experimental study of atomic-scale stick-slip friction. 64th Annual Meeting, Society of Tribologists & Lubrication Engineers, Orlando, Florida.

• Li, Q., Kim, K.-S. & Rydberg, A. 2008 Quantitative measurement for lateral force microscopy: a diamagnetic-levitation spring system. 45th Annual Technical Meeting, Society for Engineering Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.

• The Outstanding Thesis Award, Division of Engineering, Brown University, 2008.

• William N. Findley Award, Division of Engineering, Brown University, 2006.

• James R. Rice Graduate Fellowship, Brown University, 2003.

• Dean’s Fellowship, Graduate School, Brown University, 2003.

• Outstanding Thesis Award for master’s thesis, Tsinghua University, 2003.

• Graduate with Excellency, Tsinghua University, 2003.

• Honorable Excellent Graduate Scholarship, First Class, Tsinghua University, 2002.

• Consecutive scholarships for excellent undergraduate students, Tsinghua University, 1998-2000.

Member of

• The Society of Engineering Science (SES)

• Society of Tribologist and Lubrication Engineers (STLE); secretary of the STLE Young Tribologists Committee

• American Geophysical Union (AGU)

• American Physical Society (APS)

Physical Review B, Review of Scientific Instruments, Nanotechnology, Journal of Materials Science, Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering