Zhen Zhang, professor of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), National High-level Young Talent, Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Stanford World 2% Top Scientists (2021-2025), German "Alexander von Humboldt" Fellow, and Leading Talents of Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Gusu District.

Zhen Zhang has been long engaged in the research of nanoscale ion flow and related interfacial phenomena, with applications encompassing separation, sensing, and energy conversion. His research centers on the fundamental scientific question regarding precisely regulating ion transport within nano-confined spaces. Drawing inspiration from the structure and function of the ion channels in living organisms, he constructed a series of bioinspired ion channel and ion pump membranes and elucidated the synergistic effects of channel structure, charge distribution, and surface wettability on the ion transport dynamics. Zhen Zhang has integrated energy conversion mechanisms observed in living organisms into artificial micro-nano channels, leading to the development of high-performance osmotic energy conversion system based on multiscale materials including 1D, 2D, and their hybrids. Zhen Zhang has published over 60 SCI papers in international journals. As the first or corresponding author, he has published 1 Nat Rev Mater, 1 Nat Synth, 5 Nat Commun, 1 PNAS, 1 Sci Adv, 5 JACS, 7 Adv Mater, 3 Angew Chem, and 2 Chem Soc Rev. The total citations are about 7500 with H-index of ~47 (Google Scholar), and 10 papers are ESI highly cited. He was awarded with "President's Special Award" of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, "100 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertations" of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Tang Aoqing Chemistry Award, etc.

 

Education

Bachelor in Material Chemistry, 200908-201306

College of Chemistry, Jilin University

PhD in Physical Chemistry, 201308-201806

Physical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Supervisor: Lei Jiang)

 

Employment

Post-doc, 201808-202107

Alexander Von Humboldt Fellow, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany (Supervisor: Xinliang Feng)

Research group leader, 202108-202205

Technische Universität Dresden/Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle (Saale), Germany (Supervisor: Xinliang Feng)

Principle Investigator, 202206-Present

School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, China

Academic appointment

Editorial Board Member of Ionotronics (2025-)

Young Editorial Board Member of Chinese Chemical Letters (2025-)

Young Editorial Board Member of Green Carbon (2024-)

Research directions

Design of multi-dimensional bioinspired nanochannel membranes

Study on the transport behaviour of water and ions in confined nanochannels

Bioinspired energy and sensing systems based on micro- and nano-pore membranes

Awards

Nanoscale Emerging Investigator (2026)

Stanford World 2% Top Scientists (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)

National Young Scientist in Marine Power (2025, Nomination)

IAAM (International Association of Advanced Materials) Fellow (2025)

Leading Talents of Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Gusu District (2023)

Suzhou Industrial Park International Discipline Leading Talent (2022)

Alexander von Humboldt Fellow (2018)

CAS Hundred Outstanding Doctoral Dissertations (2018)

CAS President's Excellence Award (2018)

CAS Excellent Graduate Student (2018)

Beijing Excellent Graduate Student (2018)

CAS President's Special Award (2017)

Aoqing Tang Award of Chemistry (2016)

CAS Zhuliyuehua Award (2016)

ICCAS Excellent President Award (2015)

Publications (^#Equal contribution, ^*Corresponding author)：

1.      Zhang, J.^#, Zhao, N.^#, Jiang, X., Li, Z., Chen, K., Wang, X., Jing, T., Guo, Y., Xie, L., Wu. Z., Zhang, Z.^*, Confined assembly of superwettable nanomaterials for nanofluidic membranes/applications, ACS Nano (2025), DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5c08133. (Cover Article)

2.      Wang, Q., Yan, Z., Hu, Y., Zhang, Q., Kong, X.-Y.^*, Qian, Y., Ling, H., Zhang, Z.-H., Li, T., Li, X., Kang, L., Yang, L., Jiang, L., Zhang, Z.^*, Wen, L. P., Light-boosted osmotic energy conversion and ion pumping through graphdiyne oxide-based membrane, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2025), 147, 14595. (Cover Article)

3.      Jiang, X., Zhang, Q., Zhao, N., Li, Z., Jiang, L., Zhang, Z.^*, 2D conjugated metal-organic framework based composite membranes for nanofluidic ionic photoelectric conversion, Adv. Mater. (2025), 37, 2416093.

4.      Lei, D.^#, Wang, Y.^#, Zhang, Q., Wang, S., Jiang, L., Zhang, Z.^*, High-performance solid-state proton gating membranes based on two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded organic framework composite, Nat. Commun. (2025), 16, 754.

5.      Li, Z., Wu, D., Wang, Q., Zhang, Q., Xu, P., Liu, F., Xi, S.^*, Ma, D.^*, Lu, Y.^*, Jiang, L., Zhang, Z.^*, Bioinspired homonuclear diatomic iron active site regulation for efficient antifouling osmotic energy conversion, Adv. Mater. (2024), 36, 2408364.

6.      Liu, X.^#, Wang, Z.^#, Zhang, Q.^#, Lei, D., Li, X., Zhang, Z.^*, Feng, X. L.^*, Highly anion-conductive viologen-based two-dimensional polymer membranes as nanopower generators, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2024), 63,  e202409349.

7.      Lei, D., Zhang, Z.^*, Jiang, L., Bioinspired 2D nanofluidic membranes for energy applications, Chem. Soc. Rev. (2024), 53, 2300–2325. (Cover Article)

8.      Liu, X., Li, X., Chu, X., Zhang, B., Zhang, J., Hambsch, M., Mannsfeld, S., Borrelli, M., Löffler, M., Pohl, D., Liu, Y., Zhang, Z.^*, Feng, X. L.^*, Giant blue energy harvesting in two-dimensional polymer membranes with spatially aligned charges, Adv. Mater. (2024), 36, 2310791.

9.      Hu, Y., Xiao, H., Fu, L., Liu, P., Wu, Y., Chen, W., Qian, Y., Zhou, S., Kong, X. Y., Zhang, Z.^*, Jiang, L., Wen, L. P.^*, Confined ionic liquid-mediated cation diffusion through layered membranes for high-performance osmotic energy conversion, Adv. Mater. (2023), 35, 2301285.

10.  Wang, Q., Wu, Y., Zhu, C., Hu, Y., Fu, L., Qian, Y., Zhang, Z. H., Li, T., Li, X., Kong, X. Y., Jiang, L., Zhang, Z.^*, Wen, L. P.^*, Efficient solar-osmotic power generation from bioinspired antifouling 2D WS₂ composite membranes, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2023), 62, e202302938.

11.  Zhu, C., Liu, P., Niu, B., Liu, Y., Xin, W., Chen, W., Kong, X. Y., Zhang, Z.^*, Jiang, L., Wen, L. P.^*, Metallic two-dimensional MoS₂ composites as high-performance osmotic energy conversion membranes, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2021), 143, 1932–1940.

12.  Zhang, Z.^#, Bhauriyal, P.^#, Sahabudeen, H., Wang, Z., Liu, X., Hambsch, M., Mannsfeld, S., Dong, R.^*, Heine, T.^*, Feng, X. L.^*, Cation-selective two-dimensional polyimine membranes for high-performance osmotic energy conversion, Nat. Commun. (2022), 13, 3935.

13.  Zhang, Z., Wen, L. P.^*, Jiang, L.^*, Nanofluidics for osmotic energy conversion, Nat. Rev. Mater. (2021), 6, 622–639.

14.  Zhang, Z., Zhang, P. P., Yang, S., Zhang, T., Löffler, M., Shi, H., Lohe, M. R., Feng, X. L.^*, Oxidation promoted osmotic energy conversion in black phosphorus membranes, PNAS (2020), 117, 13959–13966.

15.  Zhang, Z., Zhu, C., He, L., Qian, Y., Wen, L. P.^*, Jiang, L.^*, Improved osmotic energy conversion in heterogeneous membrane boosted by three-dimensional hydrogel interface, Nat. Commun. (2020), 11, 875.

16.  Zhang, Z., Huang, X., Qian, Y., Chen, W., Wen, L. P.^*, Jiang, L.^*, Engineering smart nanofluidic system for artificial ion channels and ion pumps: From single-pore to multi-channel membranes, Adv. Mater. (2020), 32, 1904351. (Cover Article)

17.  Zhang, Z., Yang, S., Zhang, P. P., Zhang, J., Chen, G. B., Feng, X. L.^*, Mechanically strong MXene/Kevlar nanofiber composite membranes as high-performance nanofluidic osmotic power generators, Nat. Commun. (2019) 10, 2920.

18.  Zhang, Z., Li, P., Kong, X. Y., Xie, G., Qian, Y., Wang, Z., Tian, Y.^*, Wen, L. P.^*, Jiang, L., Bioinspired heterogeneous ion pump membranes: Unidirectional selective pumping and controllable gating properties stemming from asymmetric ionic group distribution, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2018) 140, 1083–1090. (Cover Article)

19.  Zhang, Z., Wen, L. P.^*, Jiang, L., Bioinspired smart asymmetric nanochannel membranes, Chem. Soc. Rev. (2018) 47, 322–356. (Cover Article)

20.  Zhang, Z.^#, Sui, X.^#, Li, P., Xie, G., Kong, X. Y., Xiao, K., Gao, L. C.^*, Wen, L. P.^*, Jiang, L., Ultrathin and ion-selective Janus membranes for high-performance osmotic energy conversion, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2017) 139, 8905–8914.

21.  Zhang, Z.^#, Kong, X. Y.^#, Xie, G., Li, P., Xiao, K., Wen, L. P.^*, Jiang, L.^*, “Uphill” cation transport: A bioinspired photo-driven ion pump, Sci. Adv. (2016) 2, e1600689.

22.  Zhang, Z., Xie, G., Xiao, K., Kong, X. Y., Li, P., Tian, Y., Wen, L. P.^*, Jiang, L., Asymmetric multifunctional heterogeneous membranes for pH- and temperature-cooperative smart ion transport modulation, Adv. Mater. (2016) 28, 9613–9619.

23.  Zhang, Z., Kong, X. Y., Xiao, K., Xie, G., Liu, Q., Tian, Y., Zhang, H., Ma, J., Wen, L. P.^*, Jiang, L.^*, A bioinspired multifunctional heterogeneous membrane with ultrahigh ionic rectification and highly efficient selective ionic gating, Adv. Mater. (2016) 28, 144–150.

24.  Zhang, Z., Kong, X. Y., Xiao, K., Liu, Q., Xie, G., Li, P., Ma, J., Tian, Y., Wen, L. P.^*, Jiang, L., Engineered asymmetric heterogeneous membrane: A concentration-gradient-driven energy harvesting device, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2015) 137, 14765–14772.

25.  Wang, Z.^#, Zhang, Z.^#, Qi, H.^#, Ortega-Guerrero, A., Wang, L., Xu, K., Wang, M., Park, S., Hennersdorf, F., Dianat, A., Croy, A., Komber, H., Cuniberti, G., Weigand, J., Kaiser, U., Dong. R.^*, Feng, X. L.^*, On-water surface synthesis of charged twodimensional polymer single crystals via the irreversible Katritzky reaction, Nat. Synth. (2022) 1, 69–76.

26.  Xin, W.^#, Zhang, Z.^#, Huang, X., Hu, Y., Zhou, T., Zhu, C., Kong, X. Y.^*, Jiang, L., Wen, L. P.^*, High-performance silk-based hybrid membranes employed for osmotic energy conversion, Nat. Commun. (2019) 10, 3876.

27.  Qian, Y.^#, Zhang, Z.^#, Kong, X. Y., Tian, W.^*, Wen, L. P.^*, Jiang, L., Engineered artificial nanochannels for nitrite ion harmless conversion, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces (2018) 10, 30852−30859.

28.  Qian, Y.^#, Zhang, Z.^#, Tian, W.^*, Wen, L. P.^*, Jiang, L., A Pb²⁺ ionic gate with enhanced stability and improved sensitivity based on a 4′-aminobenzo-18-crown-6 modified funnel-shaped nanochannel, Faraday Discuss. (2018) 210, 101–111.

29.  Sui, X.^#, Zhang, Z.^#, Zhang, Z. Y.^#, Wang, Z. W.^#, Li, C., Yuan, H., Gao, L. C.^*, Wen, L. P.^*, Fan, X.^*, Yang, L. J., Zhang, X. R., Jiang, L., Biomimetic nanofluidic diode composed of dual amphoteric channels maintains rectification direction over a wide pH range, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2016) 55, 13056–13060.