Welcome to Surface and Interface Lab !

Dr. Chen Wei's Surface and Interface Lab was established at the Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, from Jan 2009. The current research interests of our lab include Molecular-Level Interface Engineering for 2D-Materials Based Electronic and Optoelectronic devices for Neuromorphic Computing, and Interface-Controlled Nanocatalysis for Energy and Environmental Research. Our research has been substantially supported by NUS, Singapore MOE grants, NRF Investigatorship, CREATE and CRP programs, A*STAR and SPORE programs.

Selected Recent Publications:

  1. "Doping-Tunable Charge Ordering in Semiconducting Single-Layer Cr2Se3"
    Duan SS, Gou J, Cai ZH, Hu JC, Wang YH, Lin M, Zhang JL, Feng BJ, Loh KP, Zheng PF*, Wee ATS, Chen Wei*, Sci. Adv. 11, eadx8310 (2025) DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adx8310
  2. "Membrane-free CO2 hydrogenation electrolyzer for salt precipitation management in acidic electrochemical CO2 reduction"
    Da YM, Fan L*, Wang WL, Jiang R, Jin HQ, Chen GW, Jiang CL, Ji CR, Chen X, Zhu T, Wu Z, Chen Wei*, Nat. Commun. 17, 1872 (2026) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-68600-3
  3. "Scalable Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Memtransistor Arrays with Schottky-Barrier Control for Energy-Efficient Artificial Neural Networks"
    Hou XY*, Zhang W, Duan SS, Jin TY*, Geng XR, Lin M, Cai YC, Mao JY, Luo YZ, Zhu JL, Lin JH, Chen Wei*, Nat. Commun. 16, 9506 (2025) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64579-5
  4. "Observation of kagome bands in two-dimensional semiconducting Cr8Se12"
    Duan SS, You JY, Cai ZH, Gou J*, Huang YL, Yu XJ, Teo SL, Sun S, Wang YH, Lin M*, Zhang C, Feng BJ*, Wee ATS*, Chen Wei*, Nat. Commun. 15, 8940 (2024) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53314-1
  5. "Selective Photoelectrochemical Oxidation of Glucose to High Value-Added Glucaric Acid by Single-Atom Pt Decorated Defective TiO2"
    Tian ZL*, Da YM, Wang M, Dou XY, Cui XH, Chen J, Jiang R, Xi SB, Cui BH, Luo YN, Yang HT, Long Y, Xiao YK, Chen Wei*, Nat. Commun. 14, 142 (2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35875-9
  6. "Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Generation Coupled with Selective Benzylamine Oxidation over Defective ZrS3 Nanobelts"
    Tian ZL, Han C*, Zhao Y, Dai WR, Lian X, Wang YN, Zheng Y, Shi Y, Pan X, Huang ZC, Li HX, Chen Wei*, Nat. Commun. 12, 2039 (2021) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22394-8
  7. "Electronic metal–support interaction modulates single-atom platinum catalysis for hydrogen evolution reaction"
    Shi Y*, Ma ZR, Xiao YY, Yin YC, Huang WH, Huang ZC, Zheng YZ, Mu FY, Huang R, Shi GY, Sun YY, Xia XH*, Chen Wei*, Nat. Commun. 12, 3021 (2021) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23306-6
  8. "Two-dimensional Multi-bit Optoelectronic Memory with Broadband Spectrum Distinction"
    Xiang D, Liu T, Xu JL, Tan JY, Hu ZH, Lei B, Zheng Y, Wu J, Castro Neto AH, Liu L, Chen Wei*, Nat. Commun. 9, 2966 (2018) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05397-w
  9. "Surface Transfer Doping Induced Effective Modulation on Ambipolar Characteristics of Few-layer Black Phosphorus"
    Xiang D, Han C, Wu J, Zhong S, Liu YY, Lin JD, Zhang XA, Hu WP, Özyilmaz B, Castro Neto AH, Wee ATS, Chen Wei*, Nat. Commun. 6, 6485 (2015) DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7485
  10. "Identifying the Bifunctional Mechanism in Alkaline Water Electrolysis by Lewis Pairs at Single-Atom Scale"
    Jin HQ, Chen X*, Da YM, Fan L, Jiang R, Xiao YK, Yu Y*, Chen Wei*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 147, 3874-3884 (2025) DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c18040
  11. "Stabilizing Residual Monomer within in situ Polymerized Electrolytes for High-Voltage Lithium Metal Batteries"
    Sun ZJ, Yang JL*, Wu Y, Meng FB, Niu YX, Xu HF, Zhu YP, Hong BL, Chen ZY, Zhu JL, He Q, Wu G*, Chen Wei*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 147, 18064-18073 (2025) DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c03911
  12. "Breaking the scaling relationship in water oxidation enabled by the electron buffering effect of fullerene network"
    Chen X, Ma H, Wang X, Jin HQ*, Wu Y, Wu C, Wang SB, Xiao YK, Jiang R, Da YM, Fan L, Sun YM*, Xi SB, Lum YW, He Q, Li HX, Liu DM, Yang SF*, Chen Wei*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 147, 20600–20611 (2025) DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c03577
  13. "Unraveling Charge State of Supported Au Single-atoms during CO Oxidation"
    Zhou X, Shen Q, Yuan KD, Yang WS, Chen QW, Geng ZH, Zhang JL, Shao X*, Chen Wei*, Xu GQ, Yang XM*, Wu K*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 140, 554-557 (2018) DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b10394
  14. "Growth Intermediates for CVD Graphene on Cu(111): Carbon Clusters and Defective Graphene"
    Niu TC, Zhou M, Zhang JL, Feng YP, Chen Wei*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 8409-8414 (2013) DOI: 10.1021/ja403583s
  15. "Low-Temperature Synthesis of Graphene via a Radical-Coupling Reaction"
    Jiang L, Niu TC, Lu XQ, Dong HL, Chen Wei*, Liu YQ, Hu WP*, Zhu DB, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 9050-9054 (2013) DOI: 10.1021/ja4031825
  16. "Molecular trapping on Two-dimensional Binay Supramolecular Networks"
    Huang YL, Chen Wei*, Wee ATS*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 820–825 (2011) DOI: 10.1021/ja106350d
  17. "2D Pentacene:PTCDA supramolecular chiral networks on Ag(111)"
    Chen Wei*, Li H, Huang H, Fu YX, Zhang HL, Ma J*, Wee ATS*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130, 12285-12289 (2008) DOI: 10.1021/ja801577z
  18. "Preferential trapping of C60 in nanomesh voids" (communication)
    Zhang HL, Chen Wei*, Huang H, Chen L, Wee ATS*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130, 2720 (2008) DOI: 10.1021/ja710009q
  19. "Surface transfer p-type doping of epitaxial graphene"
    Chen Wei*, Chen S, Qi DC, Gao XY, and Wee ATS*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 10418 (2007) DOI: 10.1021/ja071658g
  20. "Effect of functional group (fluorine) of aromatic thiols on the electron transfer at the molecule-metal interface"
    , Chen Wei, Wang L, Huang C, Lin TT, Gao XY, Loh KP, Chen Zhi Kuan, and Wee ATS*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128, 935 (2006) DOI: 10.1021/ja056324a
  21. "Selective and energy efficient electrocatalytic CO2-to-ethanol conversion through anion modulation"
    Da YM, Chen J, Fan L*, Xiao YK, Chen GW, Tian ZL, Zhang HQ, Jin HQ, Chen X, Ji CR, Xi SB, Wang L, Zhang J*, Chen Wei*, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 64, e202506867 (2025) DOI: 10.1002/anie.202506867
  22. "Fullerene network-buffered platinum nanoparticles towards efficient and stable electrochemical ammonia oxidation reaction for hydrogen production"
    Chen X*, Ke ZY, Wang X, Jin HQ, Cheng YW, Xiao YK, Jiang R, Da YM, Fan L, Li HX, Liu DM, Yang SF*, Chen Wei*, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 64, e202505180 (2025) DOI: 10.1002/anie.202505180
  23. "Deciphering and Enhancing Rate-Determining Step of Sodium Deposition towards Ultralow-Temperature Sodium Metal Batteries"
    Niu YX, Yang JL*, Meng FB, Sun ZJ, Jiang CL, Liu Y, Xu HF, Wang M, Yang HT, Zhu YP, Wu G*, Chen Wei*, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 64, e202416720 (2025) DOI: 10.1002/anie.202416720
  24. "n-ZrS3/p-ZrOS Photoanodes with NiOOH/FeOOH Oxygen Evolution Catalysts for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation"
    Tian ZL*, Wang M, Chen GW, Da YM, Zhang HQ, Jiang R, Xiao YK, Cui BH, Jiang CL, Ding YS, Yang JL, Sun ZJ, Han C*, Chen Wei*, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 64, e202414209 (2025) DOI: 10.1002/anie.202414209
  25. "Deciphering and Integrating Functionalized Side Chains for High Ion-Conductive Elastic Ternary Copolymer Solid-State Electrolytes"
    Xu HF, Yang JL*, Niu YX, Hou XN, Sun ZJ, Jiang CL, Yang SB, He CB, Li B*, Chen Wei*, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 63, e202406637 (2024) DOI: 10.1002/anie.202406637
  26. "Water-Catalyzed Oxidation of Few-Layer Black Phosphorous in Dark Environment"
    Hu ZH, Li Q, Lei B, Zhou QH, Xiang D, Lyu ZY, Hu F, Wang JL, Ren YJ, Guo R, Goki E, Wang L, Han C*, Wang JL*, Chen Wei*, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56, 9131-9137 (2017) DOI: 10.1002/anie.201705012
  27. "Edge-Dislocated WO3 Photocathode toward Efficient Photo-Assisted Li-O2 Batteries"
    Wang M, Tian ZL*, Li GX, Xiao YK, Chen GW, Su RQ, Cui BH, Jiang CL, Sun ZJ, Yang HT, Long Y, Zhang H, Han Y*, Li HX, Chen Wei*, Adv. Mater. 37, e01716 (2025) DOI: 10.1002/adma.202501716
  28. "1D flat bands in phosphorene nanoribbons with pentagonal nature"
    Sun S, You JY, Cai ZH, Su J, Peng XN, Yang T, Peng XN, Wang YH, Geng DY, Gou J, Huang YL, Duan SS, Chen L, Wu KH, Wee ATS, Feng YP, Zhang JL*, Lu J*, Feng BJ*, Chen Wei*, Adv. Mater. 37, 2411182 (2025) DOI: 10.1002/adma.202411182
  29. "Realization of two-dimensional intrinsic polar metal in a buckled honeycomb binary lattice"
    Wang YH, Li D, Duan SS, Sun S, Ding YS, Bussolotti F, Sun MY, Chen MX, Wang M, Chen L, Wu KH, Wee ATS, Zhou M*, Feng BJ*, Hua CQ*, Huang YL*, Chen Wei*, Adv. Mater. 36, 2404341 (2024) DOI: 10.1002/adma.202404341
  30. "Facile Production of Phosphorene Nanoribbons towards Application in Lithium Metal Battery"
    Yu W, Yang JL, Li J, Zhang K, Xu HM, Zhou X, Chen Wei*, Loh KP*, Adv. Mater. 33, 2102083 (2021) DOI: 10.1002/adma.202102083
  31. "Abnormal Near-infrared Absorption in two-dimensional Black Phosphorus Induced by Ag Nanoclusters Surface Functionalization" (Selected as Frontispiece Paper)
    Hu ZH, Li Q, Lei B, Wu J, Zhou QH, Gu CD, Wen XL, Wang JY, Liu YP, Li SS, Zheng Y, Lu JP, He J, Wang L, Xiong QH, Wang JL*, Chen Wei*, Adv. Mater. 30, 1801931 (2018) DOI: 10.1002/adma.201801931
  32. "2D phosphorene: epitaxial growth and interface engineering for electronic devices" (Selected as Frontispiece Paper)
    Zhang JL, Han C, Hu ZH, Wang L, Liu L, Wee ATS, Chen Wei*, Adv. Mater. 30, 1802207 (2018) DOI: 10.1002/adma.201802207
  33. "Non-volatile and Programmable Photodoping in MoTe2 for Photoresist-free Complementary Electronic Devices" (Selected as Back Cover Paper)
    Liu T, Xiang D*, Zheng Y, Wang YN, Wang XY, Wang L, He J, Liu L, Chen Wei*, Adv. Mater. 30, 1804470 (2018) DOI: 10.1002/adma.201804470
  34. "Recent progress in emerging two-dimensional organic-inorganic van der Waals heterojunctions"
    Zhang Q, Li MH, Li L*, Geng DC*, Chen Wei*, Hu WP*, Chem. Soc. Rev. 53, 3096-3133 (2024) DOI: 10.1039/D3CS00821E
  35. "Two-Dimensional Transitional Metal Dichalcogenides: Interface and Defect Engineering" (Selected as Back Cover Paper)
    Hu ZH, Wu ZT, Han C, He J, Ni ZH*, Chen Wei*, Chem. Soc. Rev. 47, 3100-3128 (2018) DOI: 10.1039/c8cs00024g
  36. "Recent advances in mechanism and control of Li2O2 formation in Li-O2 batteries"
    Lyu ZY, Zhou Y, Dai WR, Cui XH, Lai M, Wang L, Huo FW, Huang W, Hu Z*, Chen Wei*, Chem. Soc. Rev. 46, 6046 – 6072 (2017) DOI: 10.1039/c7cs00255f
  37. "Towards Single Molecule Switches" (Invited Review)
    Zhang JL, Zhong JQ, Lin JD, Hu WP, Wu K, Xu GQ, Wee ATS, Chen Wei*, Chem. Soc. Rev. 44, 2998-3022 (2015) DOI: 10.1039/C4CS00377B
  38. "Graphene: Promises, Facts, Opportunities, and Challenges in Nanomedicine" (Invited Review)
    Mao HY, Laurent S, Chen Wei*, Akhavan O, Imani M, and Mahmoudi M*, Chem. Rev. 113, 3407-3424 (2013) DOI: 10.1021/cr300335p
  39. "Fused computing and storage in 2D transistor"
    Xiang D, Liu T, Chen Wei*, Nat. Nanotechnol. 14, 642-643 (2019) DOI: 10.1038/s41565-019-0476-0
  40. "Prolongating Cycling Lifetime of Lithium Metal Batteries with Monolithic and Inorganic-Rich Solid Electrolyte Interphase"
    Yang JL*, Li MH, Sun ZJ, Lian X, Wang YN, Jiang CL, Luo YN, Liu Y, Niu YX, Yu PC, Zhang J, Wang ZH, Wu G*, Gu M*, Chen Wei*, Energy Environ. Sci. 16, 3837-3846 (2023) DOI: 10.1039/D3EE00161J
  41. "Facet-Controlled Bifunctional WO3 Photocathodes for High-Performance Photo-assisted Li-O2 Battery"
    Wang M, Chen J, Tian ZL*, Dai WR, Cui BH, Cui XH, Lian X, Jiang CL, Yang HT, Wang YH, Sun ZJ, Ding YS, Sun YY, Zhang J, Chen Wei*, Energy Environ. Sci. 16, 523-534 (2023) DOI: 10.1039/D2EE03724F
  42. "Multi-shell Copper Catalysts for Selective Electroreduction of CO2 to Multicarbon Chemicals"
    Xiao Y, Wang M, Yang H, Qiu H, Lu H, Da Y, Chen G, Jiang T, Fu W, Hu B, Chen J, Chen L, Ding Y, Cui B, Jiang C, Sun Z, Long Y, Yang H, Tian Z, Wang L*, Chen Wei*, Adv. Energy Mater. 14, 2302556 (2024) DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202302556
  43. "Rational Design of Benzo-Crown Ether Electrolyte Additives for High-Performance Li-O2 Batteries"
    Zhang Q, Li YK, Poh ET, Xing ZX, Zhang MS, Wang M, Sun ZJ, Pan JS, Vummaleti SVC, Zhang J*, Chen Wei*, Adv. Energy Mater. 13, 2301748 (2023) DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202301748
  44. "Ferroelectrics-Integrated Two-Dimensional Devices toward Next-Generation Electronics" (Invited Review)
    Jin TY, Mao JY, Gao J, Han C*, Loh KP, Wee ATS, Chen Wei*, ACS Nano 16, 13595-13611 (2022) DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c07281
  45. "Epitaxial Growth of Ultraflat Bismuthene with Large Topological Band Inversion Enabled by Substrate-Orbital-Filtering Effect"
    Sun S, You J-Y, Duan SS, Gou J, Luo YZ, Lin WN, Lian X, Jin TY, Liu JW, Huang YL, Wang YH, Wee ATS, Feng YP, Shen L*, Zhang JL*, Chen JS*, Chen Wei*, ACS Nano 16, 1436-1443 (2022) DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c09592
  46. "Epitaxial growth of single-layer kagome nanoflakes with topological band inversion"
    Duan SS, You JY, Gou J*, Chen J, Huang YL, Liu MZ, Sun S, Wang YH, Yu XJ, Wang L, Feng YP, Wee ATS*, Chen Wei*, ACS Nano 16, 21079-21086 (2022) DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c08895
  47. "Synthesis of monolayer blue phosphorus by silicon intercalation"
    Zhang JL, Zhao ST, Sun S, Ding HH, Hu J, Li YL, Xu Q, Yu XJ, Telychko M, Su J, Gu CD, Zheng Y, Lian X, Ma ZR, Guo R, Lu J, Sun Z, Zhu JF, Li ZY*, Chen Wei*, ACS Nano 14, 3687-3695 (2020) DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c00822
  48. "Direct Observation of Semiconductor-Metal Phase Transition in Bilayer Tungsten Diselenide Induced by Potassium Surface Functionalization"
    Lei B, Pan YY, Hu ZH, Xiang D, Zheng Y, Guo R, Han C, Wang LH, Lu J, Yang L*, Chen Wei*, ACS Nano 12, 2070-2077 (2018) DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b00398
  49. "Temperature and Phase-dependent Phonon Renormalization in 1T'-MoS2"
    Tan S, Sarkar S, Zhao XX, Luo X, Luo YZ, Poh SM, Abdelwahab I, Zhou W, Venkatesan T, Chen Wei*, Quek SY*, Loh KP*, ACS Nano 12, 5051-5058 (2018) DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b02649
  50. "Growth of quasi-free-standing single layer blue phosphorus on Tellurium monolayer functionalized Au(111)"
    Gu CD, Zhao ST, Zhang JL, Sun S, Yuan KD, Hu ZH, Han C, Ma ZR, Wang L, Huo FW, Huang W, Li ZY*, Chen Wei*, ACS Nano 11, 4943–4949 (2017) DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b01575
  51. "Energy Level Realignment in Weakly Interacting Donor-Acceptor Binary Molecular Networks"
    Zhong JQ, Qin XM, Zhang JL, Kera S, Ueno N, Wee ATS, Yang JL*, Chen Wei*, ACS Nano 8, 1699-1707 (2014) DOI: 10.1021/nn406050e
  52. "Electron-Doping-Enhanced Trion Formation in Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide Functionalized with Cesium Carbonate"
    Lin JD, Han C, Wang F, Xiang D, Qin SQ, Zhang XA*, Wang L, Zhang H, Wee ATS, Chen Wei*, ACS Nano 8, 5323-5329 (2014) DOI: 10.1021/nn501580c
  53. "Dielectric engineered two-dimensional neuromorphic transistors"
    Xiang D*, Liu T, Zhang XM, Zhou P*, Chen Wei*, Nano. Lett. 21, 3557-3565 (2021) DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c00492
  54. "Designing Kagome Lattice from Potassium Atoms on Phosphorus Gold Surface Alloy"
    Sun S, Zhao ST, Luo YZ, Gu XY, Tadich A, Qi DC, Lian X, Ma ZR, Zheng Y, Gu CD, Zhang JL*, Li ZY*, Chen Wei*, Nano Lett 20, 5583-5589 (2020) DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c02426
  55. "Reversible Oxidation of Blue Phosphorus Monolayer on Au(111)"
    Zhang JL, Zhao ST, Telychko M, Sun S, Lian X, Su J, Tadich A, Qi DC, Zhuang JC, Zheng Y, Ma ZR, Gu CD, Hu ZH, Du Y, Lu J, Li ZY, Chen Wei*, Nano Lett 19, 5340-5346 (2019) DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b01796
  56. "Surface Functionalization of Black Phosphorus via Potassium towards High Performance Complementary Devices"
    Han C, Hu ZH, C. Gromes L, Bao Y, Carvalho A, Tan SJR, Lei B, Xiang D, Wu J, Wang L, Huo FW, Huang W, Loh KP, Chen Wei*, Nano Lett. 17, 4122-4129 (2017) DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b00903
  57. "Epitaxial Growth of Single Layer Blue Phosphorene: A New Phase of Two-Dimensional Phosphorus"
    Zhang JL, Zhao ST, Han C, Wang ZZ, Zhong S, Sun S, Guo R, Zhou X, Gu CD, Yuan KD, Li ZY*, Chen Wei*, Nano Lett. 16, 4903-4908 (2016) DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b01459
  58. "Single Molecule Imaging of Activated Nitrogen Adsorption on Individual Manganese Phthalocyanine"
    Zhang JL, Wang ZZ, Zhong JQ, Yuan KD, Shen Q, Xu LL, Niu TC, Gu CD, Wright C, Tadich A, Qi DC, He Li HX, Wu K, Xu GQ, Li ZY*, Chen Wei*, Nano Lett. 15, 3181–3188 (2015) DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b00290
  59. "Reversible tuning of interfacial and intra-molecular charge transfer in individual MnPc molecules"
    Zhong JQ*, Wang ZZ, Zhang JL, Wright CA, Yuan KD, Gu CD, Tadich A, Qi DC, Li HX, Lai M, Wu K, Xu GQ, Hu WP, Li ZY*, Chen Wei*, Nano Lett. 15, 8091-8098 (2015) DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b03520