Shilin Zhang

Dr Shilin Zhang

Research Fellow (B) (with PhD)

School of Chemical Engineering

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


Dr Shilin Zhang is currently a Research Fellow at the School of Chemical Engineering. His research areas focus on energy storage, functional materials, advanced material characterisation and technologies, and computational science. Dr Zhang has published over 70 peer-reviewed research papers including 15 ESI Highly Cited Papers (1%) on Advanced Materials, Angew Chem Int Ed, Energy Environmental Science etc. His publications received >6,000 citations with h-index of 33 (Google Scholar).

He has successfully secured over 3M AUD grant from Australian Research Council (ARC) including ARC DECRA Fellowship (2024-2026), 2 ARC LIEF grants, 11 merit beamline grants from Australian Synchrotron as a chief investigator. Based on research excellence, he was awarded the AINSE Early Career Research Award (2022) and Chancellor’s Commendation Outstanding Graduates (2020)

Dr. Zhang is dedicated to developing functional nanomaterials in energy storage, sustainability, and medical applications. He has significantly contributed to facilitating mechanistic insights into materials sciences and energy storage with advanced protocols of in situ characterisation/analysis and computations.

His research areas include:

  • Lithium/liquid metal batteries with high energy and high round-trip Coulombic efficiency
  • Functional electrolytes in aqueous batteries
  • Functional nanomaterials and nanotechnology
  • CO2 capture and conversion
  • Theoretical calculations
  • High-entropy alloys
  • Battery recycling

Some featured publications in the fields:

  1. Zongliang Zhang, Guanjie Li, Gemeng Liang, Pei Zhao, Xuerong Gong, Jiaxin Dai, Hesen Xiong, Zonghan Zhang, Jianfeng Mao, Shilin Zhang*, Baofeng Wang*,Tuning Nanopore Structure of Hard Carbon by Zinc Gluconate for High-Capacity Sodium Storage, Submitted

  2. Yu Ding, Li Yin*, Tan Du, Yuxin Wang, Zhen He, Jodie A. Yuwono, Guanjie Li, Jianwen Liu, Shilin Zhang*, Tao Yang*, Zaiping Guo, A Trifunctional Electrolyte Enables Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries with Long Cycling Performance, Adv. Funct. Mater., Revised

  3. TiO2-FeTi2O5 heterostructure hollow spheres enable high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries via interfacial engineering, Rare Metals, Accepted.

  4. Progress and Prospective for Iron-based Materials for Alkali Metal-ion Batteries: A Critical Review, Submitted.

  5. Jun Shen, Shilin Zhang*, Haoli Wang, Renxin Wang, Yingying Hu, Yiyang Mao, Ruilin Wang, Huihui Zhang, Yumeng Du, Yameng Fan, Yingtang Zhou*, Zaiping Guo and Baofeng Wang*, Paw-inspired binder with synergistic interface bonding for silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries, eScience, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esci.2023.100207.

  6. Zichao Xu, Yuhua Wang*, Yue Li, Yitong Wang, Bo Peng, Kenneth Davey, Guanjie Li, Liang Sun, Shilin Zhang*, Zaiping Guo*, C60 and derivatives boost electrocatalysis and photocatalysis: Electron buffers to heterojunction, Adv. Energy Mater., 2023, 202302438.

  7. Wencheng Liu, Yu Zhang, Xiaoxiao Zheng, Mingyang Wang, Xiaoling Ye, Benqing Liu, Lei Han, Yafei Ning, Yan Lu, Shilin Zhang*, Hu Li*, Xinyu Zhao*, High-Performance Flexible Zinc-Air Batteries Enabled by a Sodium Polyacrylate-Based Gel Electrolyte Containing Graphene Oxide and Cellulose Nanofiber, Energy & Fuels,  2023, 37, 16097–16104.

  8. Zixiang Liu, Rui Wang, Yuchen Gao, Shilin Zhang*, Jiandong Wan, Jianfeng Mao, Longhai Zhang, Hongbao Li, Junnan Hao, Guanjie Li, Lin Zhang, Chaofeng Zhang*, Low‐Cost Multi‐Function Electrolyte Additive Enabling Highly Stable Interfacial Chemical Environment for Highly Reversible Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2023, 202308463.

  9. Guanjie Li, Zihan Zhao, Shilin Zhang*, Liang Sun, Mingnan Li, Jodie A. Yuwono, Jianfeng Mao, Junnan Hao, Jitraporn (Pimm) Vongsvivut, Lidan Xing, Chun-Xia Zhao, Zaiping Guo *, “A Biocompatible Electrolyte Enables Highly Reversible Zn Anode for Zinc Ion Battery”, Nat. Commun., D0l:10.1038/541467-023-42333-2.

  10. Yu Su+, Bernt Johannessen+, Shilin Zhang*, Ziru Chen, Yaru Li, Ying Guo, Hong Yan, Sailong Xu*, Yao Xiao*, “Soft–Rigid Heterostructures with Functional Cation Vacancies for Fast‐Charging and High‐Capacity Sodium Storage”, Adv. Mater., 2023, 2305149 
  11. Jinshuo Zou, Gemeng Liang, Fangli Zhang, Shilin Zhang*, Zaiping Guo*, “Revisiting The Role of Discharge Products in Li-CO2 Batteries”, Adv. Mater., 2023, 202210671. 
  12. Shilin Zhang, Qining Fan, Ye Liu, Shibo Xi, Xiufan Liu, Zhibin Wu, Junnan Hao, Wei Kong Pang, Tengfei Zhou, Zaiping Guo*. "Dehydration-triggered Ionic Channel Engineering in Potassium Niobate for Li / K ion Storage." Adv. Mater., 2020. 202000380.
  13. Peng Xiong, Shilin Zhang*, Rui Wang, Longhai Zhang, Quanwei Ma, Xiang Ren, Yuchen Gao, Ziyang Wang, Zaiping Guo* and Chaofeng Zhang*, “Covalent Triazine Frameworks for Advanced Energy Storage: Challenges and New Opportunities”, Energy Environmen. Sci., 2023, 16, 3181-3213. 
  14. Jianfeng Mao+, Chao Ye+, Shilin Zhang+, Fangxi Xie+, Rong Zeng, Kenneth Davey, Zaiping Guo*, Shizhang Qiao*, Toward Practical Automotive Battery Recycling: adding value, tackling circularity and recycling-oriented design”, Energy Environmen. Sci., 2022, 15, 2732-2752.
  15. Shilin Zhang, Ye Liu, Qining Fan, Chaofeng Zhang, Tengfei Zhou*, Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh*, Zaiping Guo*. "Liquid-metal for next-generation energy storage". Energy Environmen. Sci., 2021, 14, 4177-4202.
  16. Chaofeng Zhang*,+, Hao Li+, Xiaohui Zeng, Gemeng Liang, Tengfei Zhou, Kenneth Davey, Shilin Zhang*, Zaiping Guo*, “Accelerated Diffusion Kinetics in ZnTe/CoTe2 Heterojunctions for High Rate Potassium Storage”, Adv. Energy Mater., 2022, 2202577. 
  17. Shilin Zhang, Yang Zheng, Xuejuan Huang, Jian Hong, Bin Cao, Junnan Hao, Qining Fan, Tengfei Zhou*, and Zaiping Guo*. "Structural Engineering of Hierarchical Micro-nanostructured Ge-C Framework by Controlling the Nucleation for Ultralong-Life Li Storage." Adv. Energy Mater., 2019, 1900081.
  18. Qining Fan+, Shilin Zhang+, Jicheng Jiang, Yanyan Wang, Wilford Lie, Wei Kong Pang, Qinfen Gu, Huakun Liu, Jiazhao Wang,* and Zaiping Guo*, “An Organocatalyst for Greener and Faster Oxidation of Li2S in Electrochemical Processes”, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2023, DOI: doi.org/10.1002/adfm. 202212796 
  19. Guanjie Li, Liang Sun, Shilin Zhang*, Chaofeng Zhang, Kenney Davey, Huanyu Jin, Zaiping Guo*, “Developing Cathode Materials for Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries: Challenges and Practical Prospects”, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2023, 2301291. 
  20. Shilin Zhang, Jian Hong, Yang Zheng, Xingmin He, Wei Kong Pang, Tengfei Zhou*, Huakun Liu, Zaping Guo*. "Wet-chemical synthesis of ultrathin non-layered sulphides driven by surface charge manipulation strategy", Adv. Funct. Mater., 2021, 2101676.
  21. Shanshan Fan, Haiping Liu*, Ying Xie, Sifu Bi, Xiaohuan Meng, Kaiqi Zhang, Liang Sun, Shilin Zhang*, Zaiping Guo, “Electrolyte Engineering on Performance Enhancement of NiCo2S4 Anode for Sodium Storage”, Small, 2023, 2300188. 
  22. Shilin Zhang, Liang Sun, Qining Fan, Fangli Zhang, Zhijie Wang, Jinshuo Zou, Shiyong Zhao, Jianfeng Mao, and Zaiping Guo*, Challenges and Prospects of Lithium−CO2 Batteries, Nano Res. Energy, 2022, e9120001.
  23. Xiaofen Dong, Feijiang Chen, Guoguang Chen, Bin Wang, Xiaoli Tian, Xiaolong Yan, chengwei Deng, Duan Wang, Jianfeng Mao, Sailong Xu*, Shilin Zhang*, NiS2 nanodots on N, S-doped graphene synthesized via interlayer confinement for enhanced lithium-/sodium-ion storage, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 2022, 619, 359-368. 
  24. Liang Sun, Guanjie Li, Shilin Zhang*, Zaiping Guo*, “Practical Assessment of the Potassium Ion Battery”, Sci. China Chem., 2022, 1-9. 
  25. Shilin Zhang, Yun Zhang, WenJie Jiang, Xin Liu, Sailong Xu, Ruijie Huo, Fazhi Zhang, and Jin-Song Hu. "Co@ N-CNTs Derived from Triple-role CoAl-layered Double Hydroxide as an Efficient Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction." Carbon, 2016, 107, 162-170.
  26. Shilin Zhang, Feng Yao, Lan Yang, Fazhi Zhang, and Sailong Xu. "Sulfur-doped mesoporous carbon from Surfactant-intercalated Layered Double Hydroxide Precursor as High-performance Anode Nanomaterials for Both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries." Carbon, 2015, 93, 143-150.
  27. Zhijian Wang+, Shilin Zhang+, Hai Zeng, Haimin Zhao, Wei Sun, Meng Jiang, Chuanqi Feng, Jianwen Liu, Tengfei Zhou, Yang Zheng, Zaiping Guo. "Hierarchical Porous NiO/β-NiMoO4 Heterostructure as Superior Anode Material for Lithium Storage." ChemPlusChem, 2018, 10, 915-923. 
  28. Qing, Zhang+, Zhijie Wang+, Shilin Zhang+, Tengfei Zhou, Jianfeng Mao, and Zaiping Guo. "Cathode Materials for Potassium-ion Batteries: Current Status and Perspective." Electrochem. Energy Rev. 2018, 1,625-658. 

17. Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities, Australian Research Council, Nov. 2023, CI (5th), Cash grant value: $AUD 1,150,000.

16. Shilin Zhang (CI), Developing Room-Temperature Liquid Metal Batteries for Safe Energy Storage. Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (ARC-DE, DE230100159), 2024-2026, 473, 847 AUD.

15. Shilin Zhang (CI). Australian Synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy beamline (AS231/XAS/20391), 2023, ANSTO In-kind Grant Value: 32,784 AUD.

14. Shilin Zhang (CI). Australian Synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy beamline (AS231/XAS/20390), 2023, ANSTO In-kind Grant Value: 98,352 AUD.

13. Shilin Zhang (CI). Australian Synchrotron Powder Diffraction beamline (AS212/PD/20368), 2023, ANSTO In-kind Grant Value: 98,352 AUD.

12. Shilin Zhang (CI). Australian Synchrotron Soft X-ray spectroscopy beamline (AS212/PD/19816), 2023, ANSTO In-kind Grant Value: 163,920 AUD.

11. Shilin Zhang (CI). Australian Synchrotron Powder Diffraction beamline (AS212/PD/19418), 2023, ANSTO In-kind Grant Value: 98,352 AUD.

10. Shilin Zhang (CI). Australian Synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy beamline (AS231/XAS/19416), 2023, ANSTO In-kind Grant Value: 32,784 AUD.

9. Shilin Zhang (CI). Australian Synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy beamline (AS231/XAS/19414), 2023, ANSTO In-kind Grant Value: 32,784 AUD.

8. Shilin Zhang (CI). Australian Synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy beamline (AS231/XAS/19407), 2023, ANSTO In-kind Grant Value: 65,568 AUD.

7. Shilin Zhang (CI). Australian Synchrotron Infrared microscopy beamline (AS231/IRM/19199), 2023, ANSTO In-kind Grant Value: 131,136 AUD.

6. Shilin Zhang (CI). Australian Synchrotron Infrared microscopy beamline (AS231/IRM/18819), 2023, ANSTO In-kind Grant Value: 98,352 AUD.

5. Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities, Australian Research Council, Nov. 2022, CI (5th), Cash grant value: $AUD 2,206,421.

4. Shilin Zhang (CI). Australian Synchrotron Powder Diffraction beamline (AS212/PD/17105), 2022, ANSTO In-kind Grant Value: 65,568 AUD.

3. The University of Adelaide Seed Fund. Direct recycling the end-of-life batteries. Nov. 2021, CI (3rd), Cash Grant: $AUD10, 000.00

2. Shilin Zhang (CI), ECMS Grant Development support, University of Adelaide Open Project, Sept. 2021, Cash grant value: $AUD 3,000.

1. Shilin Zhang (CI), DVCR Small Equipment Scheme, University of Adelaide Open Project, Nov. 2021, Cash grant value: $AUD 14,771.

  • CHEM ENG 7105: Materials for Catalysis (Guest Lecturer) 2023 Semester 1-
  • CHEM ENG 7106: Materials Engineering for Energy (Tutor/course co-coordinator) 2022 Semester 1-
  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 Co-Supervisor Mechanism of Selective Regulated Separation of Lithium from Waste ternary Lithium Battery Materials Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Yan Wang
    2022 Co-Supervisor Electrolyte systems for aqueous zinc-ion batteries Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Guanjie Li
    2022 Co-Supervisor Weakly solvated electrolyte for high performance lithium metal batteries Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Mingnan Li
    2021 Co-Supervisor Development of high-performance lithium-carbon dioxide batteries. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Liang Sun
  • Position: Research Fellow (B) (with PhD)
  • Phone: 0421502829
  • Email: shilin.zhang01@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Engineering Annexe, floor Second Floor
  • Room: 204
  • Org Unit: Materials Engineering

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