Public Research Seminar - Anomalous Ion Transport in Angstrom-scale Two-dimensional Channels

Abstract

Molecules and ions exhibit strikingly different structures and properties under strong confinement than their bulk counterparts. These differences become particularly pronounced when the confinement is reduced to the angstrom scale, which is comparable to the characteristic size of ions and molecules. The emerging frontier of two-dimensional (2D) nanofluidics has opened unprecedented opportunities for probing mass transport in this regime. This talk will present anomalous ion transport observed in angstrom-scale 2D channels, highlighting the critical role of confinement chemistry. Our study further reveals an unexpected asymmetric ion interplay that gives rise to cooperative ion transport. From an application perspective, I will demonstrate the use of 2D nanofluidics to separate the critical rare earth elements, revealing how strikingly these elements behave in such 2D confinement.

About the speaker

Dr. WANG Mingzhan, City University of Hong Kong

Dr. Mingzhan Wang is currently a Global Research Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong, working with Prof. Wenjun Zhang. He received his B.Eng. degree from the College of Chemistry, Jilin University, in 2013 and obtained his Ph.D. from the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, in 2018 under the supervision of Prof. Hailin Peng and Prof. Zhongfan Liu. He then joined the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, where he worked first as a postdoctoral scholar and later as a Staff Scientist in Prof. Chong Liu's group (2018–2024), before joining CityUHK.

His research interests focus on building a sustainable water–energy–materials nexus through the controlled synthesis of two-dimensional materials, angstrom-scale nanofluidics, membrane science and separation technologies, and energy conversion and storage. He has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications, which have received over 4,100 citations according to Google Scholar. His publications include 18 first- or corresponding-author papers in journals such as Nature Reviews Chemistry, Science Advances, Nature Communications, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A., Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Matter, Nano Letters, and ACS Nano.