Jie Shen

Separation processes consume over 50% of global industrial energy, and a persistent challenge for the current synthetic membranes used in these processes is overcoming the trade-off between permeability and selectivity, particularly when separating similarly sized molecules or ions.

Jie Shen's research tackles this challenge by creating atomically precise transport channels, concentrating on novel separation membrane materials like two-dimensional materials and nanoporous frameworks to address this longstanding trade-off.

By establishing a scalable synthesis platform, he combines molecular engineering with chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology to achieve large-area fabrication of membranes with uniform sub-nanometer channels that remain stable under near-industrial conditions. This approach successfully produced polymeric membranes with regular pore structures, achieving over 99.5% salt rejection and water permeance exceeding six times that of commercial desalination membranes. By fine-tuning the surface charge density, the membrane showed more than twice the power density of conventional membranes in osmotic power generation. Furthermore, he employed CVD to construct an atomically thin molybdenum disulfide membrane—just three atoms thick—with precisely engineered 8-membered-ring pores. The membrane enables ultrafast single-file water transport and efficient proton transport, closely mimicking natural biological channels and paving the way for high-performance water treatment, hydrogen fuel cells, water electrolysis, and flow batteries.

His work also extends to flexible sensor technologies, where by applying similar design principles, he has developed air-permeable, biocompatible, and sensitive layers for wearable mechanosensing devices, offering potential solutions for future healthcare devices. Taken together, his systematic approach to material design provides innovative pathways for industrial separation, energy conversion, and healthcare.