Rate My Professor Olli Ikkala

Olli Ikkala is Aalto Distinguished Professor and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Applied Physics at Aalto University, where he also serves as Senior Advisor in Molecular Materials. He earned his Master's degree in Engineering and Technology from Helsinki University of Technology in 1977 and his Doctoral degree from the same institution in 1983, completed at the Low Temperature Laboratory. Originally educated in physics, Ikkala spent ten years early in his career in the chemical industry developing polymer blends and electrically conducting polymers. He returned to academia in 1994, serving as Professor of Polymer Physics and Molecular Nanostructures at Helsinki University of Technology, which became part of Aalto University. He has held the position of Professor of Applied Physics for over 20 years and was appointed Aalto Distinguished Professor in 2018.

Ikkala's research specializes in functional materials based on hierarchical self-assemblies, biomimetics, and nature-derived substances, including nanocellulose systems, bioinspired hydrogels for mechanical energy storage, algorithmic materials inspired by classical conditioning, dissipative structures, sustainable electronics, energy storage, electrocatalysis, and colloidal systems. He leads the Molecular Materials (MolMat) group and participates in projects such as the ERC-funded Dyna-Mat on life-inspired soft matter and FinnCERES BiOptics. His prolific output comprises over 600 research publications. Key recent works include "Bioinspired nondissipative mechanical energy storage and release in hydrogels via hierarchical sequentially swollen stretched chains" (Nature Communications, 2025), "Anomalous Enhancement of the Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in AuPt Nanoclusters" (ACS Catalysis, 2025), "Stretch to scatter: mechanically tunable haze in silica nanofibers-polymer composite films" (Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2026), and "Colloidal Magnetoelectric Shape Recognition Based on Machine Learning" (Small Structures, 2025). Ikkala has received the Finnish Science Award (2023), Humboldt Research Award (2019), three European Research Council Advanced Grants, two Academy of Finland Professorships (2005-2010 and 2012-2016), Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques (2018), and Medema Award (2019). He performs advisory and evaluation duties nationally and internationally and has collaborated with polymer, paint, and forest product industries.