Wei Chen

Biography

I am a chemist at Argonne National Laboratory, affiliated with the Materials Science Division and the Center for Molecular Engineering. I earned my Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2010 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Argonne’s Center for Nanoscale Materials. Since 2012, I have been a research scientist in the Materials Science Division and the Institute for Molecular Engineering, and since 2016, I have held an affiliation with the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. My research centers on developing sustainable smart composites through innovative synthesis, surface functionalization, advanced processing, and state-of-the-art characterization techniques. Visit our team webpage to learn more.

Recent Publications

Erwin, A. J.; Hu, S.; Zhou, H.; Miller, S. D.; Musterman, E. J.; Kiss, A. M.; Yang, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Chen, W. Tunable 3D Aerosol Jet Printing of Low-Power Redox-Gated Transistors with Multicomponent Inks. Adv. Mater. Technol., 2025, e00648. https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.202500648.
Zhang, L.; Liu, C.; Cao, H.; Erwin, A. J.; Fong, D. D.; Bhattacharya, A.; Yu, L.; Stan, L.; Zou, C.; Tirrell, M. V.; Zhou, H.; Chen, W. Redox Gating for Colossal Carrier Modulation and Unique Phase Control. Adv. Mater. 2024, 36, 2308871. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202308871.
- Argonne Press Release: Scientists use novel technique to create new energy-efficient microelectronic device
- MSD Research Highlight: Redox gating: Unlocking energy-efficient electronics through colossal carrier modulation and phase control
- AIChE: Redox Gating Enables Low-Power Microelectronics
- SciTechDaily: Unlocking the Future of Microelectronics With Argonne’s Redox Gating Breakthrough
- Inside Back Cover (Adv. Mater. 16/2024)
He, H.; Liang, H.; Chu, M.; Jiang, Z.; de Pablo, J. J.; Tirrell, M. V.; Narayanan, S.; Chen, W. Transport Coefficient Approach for Characterizing Nonequilibrium Dynamics in Soft Matter. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2024, 121, e2401162121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2401162121.
- Argonne Press Release: Ability to track nanoscale flow in soft matter could prove pivotal discovery
- MSD Research Highlight: MSD Research Highlight: New XPCS method to explore non-equilibrium dynamics in soft materials
Horwath, J. P.; Lin, X.-M.; He, H.; Zhang, Q.; Dufresne, E. M.; Chu, M.; Sankaranarayanan, S. K. R. S.; Chen, W.; Narayanan, S.; Cherukara, M. J. AI-NERD: Elucidation of Relaxation Dynamics beyond Equilibrium through AI-Informed X-Ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy. Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 5945. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49381-z.
- Argonne Press Release: Scientists develop new artificial intelligence method to create material ‘fingerprints’
- CNM Research Highlight: Leveraging AI for improved X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy
Cao, H.; Liu, C.; Fong, D. D.; Bhattacharya, A.; Tirrell, M. V.; Zhou, H.; Chen, W. Redox Gating-Induced Modulation of Charge Carrier Density and Lattice Expansion in LaNiO₃ Thin Films. Appl. Phys. Lett. 2024, 125, 074101. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0217899.

Selected Patents

Chen, W.; Zhang Y.; Erwin A.; Hu S.; “Aerosol Jet Printable Metal Oxide Nanoparticle Channel Inks and Redox Gate Inks for Redox-Gated Transistors and the Methods of Preparing and Printing the Same”. 2024, US Patent 18,747,338.
Zhang, Y.; Lee, J.; Chen, W.; Hu, S.; Erwin, A.; Gao, F.; “Integrated Thin Film Composite Membranes for CO₂ Separation and Methods of Making the Same”. 2024, US Patent 18,410,456
Alverdy, J. C.; Tirrell, M. V.; Zaborina, O.; Mao, J.; Chen, W.; “Phosphorylated Triblock Copolymers with Pathogen Virulence Suppressing Properties”. 2023, US Patent 11,571,443.
Chen, W.; Tirrell, M. V.; Banerjee, S. L.; “Nanoparticle-Containing Media Exhibiting Enhanced Optical Transparency, Related Nanoparticles, and Associated Systems and Methods”. 2022, US Patent C1604.70003US00.
Chen, W.; Tirrell, M. V.; Zhou, H.; Zhang, L.; Cao, H.; Liu, C.; “Redox Gating Materials and Methods of Making and Using the Same”. 2022, US Patent 20220216321A1.