Shen Research Group

Engineering channel materials for energy, environment, and healthcare.

Featured research

Science, 2025

Engineering grain boundaries in monolayer molybdenum disulfide for efficient water-ion separation

A key challenge for advancing membrane separation is the formation of uniform nanopores over large areas on robust 2D materials. Here, we show the engineering of atomically precise molecular channels in monolayer 2D films by using chemical vapor deposition. A high density of eight-membered rings is harnessed for fast single-file water transport while blocking ions.

A fascinating philosophy here: sometimes, "defects" make things "perfect"!

Science feature image for MoS2 water-ion separation

Nature Materials, 2022

Fast water transport and molecular sieving through conjugated-polymer-framework membranes

Carbon nanomaterials such as graphene show intriguing molecular transport properties, but achieving regular channels over a large area requires perfect sheet alignment. This work fabricated a large-area two-dimensional conjugated-polymer-framework with regular pore distribution by a surface-confined CVD method, enabling fast water transport and greater than 99.5% salt rejection driven by osmotic pressure.

Nature Materials feature image for conjugated-polymer-framework membranes

Nature Reviews Materials, 2021

Artificial channels for confined mass transport at the sub-nanometre scale

Artificial channels that selectively transport small molecules at the sub-nanometre scale are used in molecular separation. This review discusses channel design, nanostructure, fabrication, mass-transport mechanisms, promising applications, and future challenges.

Nature Reviews Materials feature image for artificial channels

Nature, 2017

Cationic control of membrane pore size

Graphene oxide membranes have been explored as ion-sieving devices for water purification and related applications. This work demonstrated control of interlayer spacing using ions themselves, enabling ionic sieving as smaller interlayer spacings prevent larger cations from penetrating the membrane.

Nature feature image for ion sieving in graphene oxide membranes

Science Advances, 2020

Electronic skin has a strong future stretching ahead

A durable electronic skin was created using a hydrogel reinforced with silica nanoparticles as a strong and stretchy substrate and two-dimensional titanium carbide MXene as the sensing layer. The multidimensional configuration enables a broad working range, fast response, resilience, linearity, and reproducibility.