Shiqi Huang, University of Bath

As a Lecturer and Assistant Professor at the University of Bath since 2024, Shiqi Huang’s research focuses on atomically thin membranes for energy-efficient separation and sustainable resource recycling by leveraging the unique physical and chemical properties of 2D materials to achieve ultrashort and highly selective transport channels for energy-efficient separation processes for sustainable resource recycling (e.g., water, CO2, hydrogen, and solar energy).
 
 

“The UK’s Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy calls for 20 TWh of low-carbon fuels by 2030, driving rapid progress toward hydrogen economy. Current industrial hydrogen purification relies on energy-intensive methods such as pressure swing adsorption and cryogenic distillation, while the decarbonisation goals demand more energy-efficient and cost-effective purification solutions.
 

“This project addresses this challenge through the development of advanced ultrathin membranes for hydrogen purification. Membrane-based separation is a highly attractive approach, with the potential to reduce energy consumption by up to 90% compared with conventional purification technologies. Since gas permeation flux is inversely proportional to membrane thickness, ultrathin membranes offer a unique opportunity to achieve exceptionally high separation throughput and energy efficiency. Our research focuses on increasing nanopore density within ultrathin membrane structures by a rapid novel chemical strategy, which will introduce high-density efficient transport pathways for hydrogen purification. This interdisciplinary project combines expertise from chemical engineering and materials science to establish a transformative membrane platform. The resulting technology aims to deliver energy-efficient, cost-effective, and high-throughput hydrogen purification, supporting the growth of a sustainable hydrogen economy and contributing to the UK’s industrial decarbonisation goals.”

Shiqi Huang, University of Bath