John WANG

Research Interests

Professor Wang’s research focuses on advanced materials and device architectures for new-generation energy storage technologies, such as metal-ion, metal–sulfur, and solid-state batteries, and energy conversion by electrocatalysts. His group is leading the design and fabrication of electrode materials, framework electrolytes, and single atom catalysts. Particular materials are metal–organic frameworks and covalent–organic frameworks, as well as their derivatives, where the tunable chemistry, morphology and well-defined metal sites are being studied for fast ion transport, host-guest confinement, interfaces and functionalities.

Prof John Wang is a globally renowned researcher for advanced ceramic materials and devices. More recently, the group also uses framework chemistry to develop new porous carbons, solid state electrolytes and single-atom catalysts, extending the new materials platform beyond batteries into novel catalysts, membranes for water treatment and environment. Across these directions, the research group combines materials synthesis with structural characterisation at length scales from atomic, molecular, and to microstructural, to establish the new design rules linking structure to functional performance.

Selected Publications:

1. 1. Fei Wang, Zhendong Liu, Jingyuan Li, Shuqi Wang, Lewis Kien Juen Ting, Yulin Gao, Xingyang Wang, Baptiste Py, Shengjun Xu, Francesco Ciucci, Qing Wang, Qi Zhao, Chengzhi Zhang, Weidong Zhang, John Wang, Deprotonation-Induced Strong Covalent Interfacial Bonding Stabilizes the Solid Electrolyte Interphase and Raises the Performance of Lithium-Ion Batteries, Journal American Chemical Society, 2026, 148, 20464-20478.
   2. Qi Zhao, Jing Yang, Zhendong Liu, Xiaohan Chen, Jinkai Wang, Yulin Gao, Xue Chen, Xingyang Wang, Wanwan Wang, Fei Wang, Chengzhi Zhang, Yanfeng Gao, Yong-Wei Zhang, Dan Zhao, John Wang, Metal-center electron affinity modulates multicolor electrochromism in 2D conjugated metal-organic frameworks. Nature Communications, 2026, 17, 8059.
   3. Zhenwei Ji, Hao Yuan, Qilin Huang, Xingyang Wang, Tuo Wang, Wanwan Wang, Weihao Liu, Yu Liu, Lewis Kien Juen Ting, Jianguo Sun, Qing Wang, Jing Yang, Yulin Gao, Yong-Wei Zhang, John Wang, Potential-controlled pre-lithiation of organic framework cathodes for ultra-high current lithium-ion batteries, Matter, 2026, 102866.
   4. Fei Wang, Anbang Lu, Zhendong Liu, Weidong Zhang, Yulin Gao, Qi Zhao, Jianguo Sun, Chengzhi Zhang, Quanbing Liu, Hongbo Liu, John Wang, Tailoring Graphite Interlayers with Electron-Acceptor Bridges Raises Ion Diffusion Kinetics for Ultrafast Charging Batteries, Advanced Materials, 2025, 37, e09207.
   5. Haimei Wang, Hao Yuan, Wanwan Wang, Xingyang Wang, Jianguo Sun, Jing Yang, Ximeng Liu, Qi Zhao, Tuo Wang, Ning Wen, Yulin Gao, Kepeng Song, Dairong Chen, Shijie Wang, Yong-Wei Zhang, John Wang, Accelerating Sulfur Redox Kinetics by Electronic Modulation and Drifting Effects of Pre-Lithiation Electrocatalysts, Advanced Materials, 2024, 36, 2307741.
   6. Rongrui Deng, Yumei Wang, Zhongting Wang, Xingyang Wang, Chaoneng Dai, Lingxiao Luo, Yue Guo, Jiaqi Peng, Zhenhang Huang, Shuangshuang Tan, Hongyi Li, Fusheng Pan, John Wang, Metastable Structure for Ultra-Sustainable, High Capacity and Kinetics-Enhanced Magnesium-Ion Battery, Advanced Science, 2026, 13, e22416.
   7. Xinyan Li, Shujing Wen, Junhua Zhou, Yanpeng Guo, Jiehua Cai, Xingyang Wang, Yongqiang Yang, Ang Ye, Can Guo, Zhaokun Wang, Qiyao Huang,  Danny Gu, John Wang, Zijian Zheng, Indium-Mediated Glue-Like Interlayer Enables Stable High-Capacity Flexible Sodium Metal Batteries, Advanced Materials, 2026 38 (37), e73556.
   8. Ziyi Feng, Yifu Zhang, Yuan Hao, Jianguo Sun, Changgong Meng, Yong‐Wei Zhang, John Wang, Pulling Effects of Interlayer Water Molecules Strengthen Dry‐swimming Zn²⁺Reaction Kinetics in Layered Vanadium Oxides. Advanced Functional Materials, 2025, 35 (45), 2505978.
   9. Qiang Lv, Li-an Li, Xi Zhang, Runqi Wang, Ning Wen, Lijuan Xue, Haimei Wang, Lei Shen, Dairong Chen, Francesco Ciucci, John Wang, Developing dynamic ion transport channels in polymer solid electrolytes for high-performance lithium metal batteries. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2025, 147 (31), 27611.
   10. Haimei Wang, Hao Yuan, Wanwan Wang, Lei Shen, Jianguo Sun, Ximeng Liu, Jing Yang, Xingyang Wang, Tuo Wang, Ning Wen, Yulin Gao, Kepeng Song, Dairong Chen, Shijie Wang, Yong-Wei Zhang, John Wang, Asymmetric Polarization Modulation of d–p Hybridization-Enhanced Bidirectional Sulfur Redox Kinetics with Heteronuclear Dual-Atom Catalysts, ACS Nano, 2024, 18, 33405-33417.