Xiwen Gong

Xiwen Gong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, where he leads the Gong Research Group focused on advancing soft electronic materials and bio-electronics. His research bridges physics, chemistry, and engineering to develop innovative nanomaterials, polymers, and perovskites for applications in biomedical sensing, soft robotics, and energy harvesting.

His research interests center on three interconnected pillars: New Materials (innovating soft semiconductors at molecular level), Spectroscopy (utilizing advanced light-matter interactions to understand material properties), and Bio-electronics (developing wearable technologies that interface with biological systems). Current projects include low-cost perovskite solar cells for sustainable transportation and self-adhesive hydrogel electrodes for medical applications.

Analysis of recent publications reveals strong emphasis on perovskite materials development (12/15 articles), with consistent focus on improving optoelectronic device efficiency and stability. Key technical themes include quantum dot engineering, thin-film processing, charge transport characterization, and nanoscale assembly techniques applicable to wearable technologies.

Recent Scientific Awards:

• NSF CAREER Award (2024)
• CoE Dean's Engineering Translation Research Award (2025)
• MTRAC Advanced Transportation Award (2024, 2025)
• Michigan Materials Research Institute Faculty Award (2025)
• ACS PRF Doctoral New Investigator Grant (2024)

Dr. Gong leads multiple funded projects including an NSF CAREER project on wearable NIR optoelectronics and industry-translation initiatives for perovskite solar cells supported by >$1.5M in recent awards. He directs an active research group with openings for postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers.