Shinian Cheng

Research professional advancing from postdoctoral research and university-based teaching into roles centered on experimental design, data analysis, and scholarly communication. Brings a strong fit for translating complex findings into publications, presentations, and classroom or lab mentorship. Works across multidisciplinary academic settings with an emphasis on rigorous methods and clear explanation.

• Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=cpJWb5MAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
• Pending:
• 1. Shinian Cheng, L. Rey, and A.P. Sokolov, Viscoelasticity of dynamic polymers: from associative polymers to dynamic covalent networks, Progress in Polymer Science 2026 (under revision).
• 2. Shinian Cheng, Y. Lee, L. Yu, M.D. Ediger, D.M. Delongchamp, and C.E. Bishop, Controlled component segregation in vapor-deposited organic semiconductor glass mixtures, Chemistry of Materials 2026 (under review).
• 3. L. Rey, Shinian Cheng (corresponding author), D.M. Barber, Gaukhar Toleutay, and A.P. Sokolov, Multistep bond exchange manifests as a single bond rearrangement dynamic process in vitrimers, Journal of the American Chemical Society 2026 (submitted).
• 4. Shinian Cheng, L. Rey, D.M. Barber, Gaukhar Toleutay, and A.P. Sokolov, Entropy-controlled sticker escape in microphase-separated associative polymers, 2026 (in progress).
• 5. H. Singh, D.M. Barber, Shinian Cheng, M. Lehmann, M.D. Nelwood, J.A. Lewis, and A.P. Sokolov, Morphology and Ion Transport in Zwitterionic Polysiloxanes, ACS Nano 2026 (under revision).
• 6. A. Das, H. Singh, Shinian Cheng, M. Lehmann, C. Gainaru, A.P. Sokolov, and K. Schweizer, Dynamic Decoupling in Polymerized Ionic Liquids, Supercooled Melts, and Glasses, ACS Macro Letters, 2026 (under revision).
• 7. H. Singh, J. Ock, Shinian Cheng, J. Keum, M. Danielson, M.A. Rahman, V. Bocharova, A.P. Sokolov, and C. Gainaru, Strong enhancement of ionic conductivity by polymerization under electric field, ACS Materials Letters, 2026 (under revision).
• 8. D.M. Barber, H. Singh, Shinian Cheng, M. Lehmann, M.D. Nelwood, A.P. Sokolov, and J.A. Lewis, Zwitterionic Polysiloxanes with Extreme Dielectric Permittivity, 2026 (in progress).
• 9. G. Toleutay, J. Foster, Shinian Cheng, L. Rey, H. Singh, A.P. Sokolov, and I. Popov, Controlling mechanical properties of recyclable vanillin-derived biovitrimers with dynamic imine bonds, 2026 (in progress).
• Polymeric Materials:
• 10. Shinian Cheng, L. Rey, B. Yao, S.K. Sabelja, G. Toleutay, I. Popov, and A.P. Sokolov, Revealing the bond exchange and network rearrangement mechanism in vitrimers, Science Advances 2026, 12 (16), eaae9093. IF= 13.9
• 11. Shinian Cheng, L. Rey, B. Yao, I. Popov, and A.P. Sokolov, Unexpectedly large entropic barrier controls bond rearrangements in vitrimers, Matter 2026, 0. IF= 15.7
• 12. M.R. Branham-Ferrari, Shinian Cheng, A.P. Sokolov, and D.S. Simmons, Reaction/Diffusion Competition Drives Anomalous Relaxation of Vitrimers, Nature Physics, 2026, (Accept). IF= 18
• 13. G.P. Carden, M.L. Martins, G. Toleutay, Shinian Cheng, B. Blad, J. Foster, C. Gainaru, and A.P. Sokolov, Critical role of the steric factor in the viscoelasticity of Vitrimers, Macromolecules 2025, 58(11), 5495-5504. IF= 5.1
• 14. Shinian Cheng, Z. Wojnarowska, J. Sangoro, and M. Paluch, Ion dynamics in pendant and backbone polymerized ionic liquids: A view from high-pressure dielectric experiments and free-volume model, Physical Review E 2022, 105(5), 054502. IF=2.4
• 15. Shinian Cheng, M. Musiał, Z. Wojnarowska, A. Holt, C.M. Roland, E. Drockenmuller, and M. Paluch, Structurally related scaling behavior in ionic systems, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2020, 124(7), 1240. IF=3.4
• 16. Z. Wojnarowska, M. Musiał, Shinian Cheng, E. Drockenmuller, and M. Paluch, Fast secondary dynamics for enhanced charge transport in polymerized ionic liquids, Physical Review E 2020, 101(3), 032606. IF=2.4
• 17. Shinian Cheng, Z. Wojnarowska, M. Musiał, D. Flachard, E. Drockenmuller, and M. Paluch, Access to thermodynamic and viscoelastic properties of poly(ionic liquids) using high-pressure conductivity measurements, ACS Macro Letters 2019, 8, 996. IF=5.8
• Organic Semiconductors:
• 18. Y. Lee, J. Ju, Shinian Cheng, J. Yu, L. Yu, and M.D. Ediger, Probing component segregation and anisotropy for co-deposited glasses of TCTA and Ir(ppy)3 by GIWAXS, The Journal of Chemical Physics 2026, 164, 134501. IF=3.7
• 19. Shinian Cheng, K. Jha, Z. Wang, J.I. Bonilla-Lugo, H. Kositzke, J.H. Perepezko, Z. Fakhraai, and M.D. Ediger, Physical aging of glasses of an organic semiconductor, Journal of Materials Chemistry C 2025, 13, 13214-13223. IF=5.2
• 20. Y. Lee, Shinian Cheng, M.D. Ediger, High kinetic stability and high density of Ir(ppy)3 doped organic semiconductor glasses, Journal of Chemical Physics 2025, 163, 124503. IF=3.1
• 21. Shinian Cheng, Y. Lee, J. Yu, L. Yu, and M.D. Ediger, Generic behavior of ultrastability and anisotropic molecular packing in co-deposited organic semiconductor glass mixtures, Chemistry of Materials 2024, 36(7), 3205-3214. IF=7.2
• 22. S. Huang, Shinian Cheng, J. Ju, D. Chatterjee, J. Yu, H. Bock, L. Yu, M.D. Ediger, and P.M. Voyles, Nanoscale View of Alignment and Domain Growth in a Hexagonal Columnar Liquid Crystal, ACS Nano 2024, 18 (41), 28095-28103. IF=15.8
• 23. Y. Lee, Shinian Cheng, M.D. Ediger, High Density Two-Component Glasses of Organic Semiconductors Prepared by Physical Vapor Deposition, Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2024, 15(31), 8085-8092. IF=5.7
• 24. Shinian Cheng, Y. Lee, J. Yu, L. Yu, and M.D. Ediger, Surface equilibration mechanism controls the stability of a model codeposited glass mixture of organic semiconductors, Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2023, 14(18), 4297-4303. (Nature Reviews Chemistry "highlight"). IF=5.7
• Molecular/Ionic Liquids:
• 25. M. Abdullah, M.L. Martins, A. Zheng, M.D. Ahmed, B. Yao, Shinian Cheng, R. Sacci, S. Greenbaum, E. Mamontov, A.P. Sokolov, and I. Popov, Mechanism of Accelerated Charge Transport in Doped Organic Ionic Plastic Crystals, Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2026, 130(28): 10026-10035. IF=3.4
• 26. Shinian Cheng, S. Patil, and S. Cheng, Hydrogen bonding exchange and supramolecular dynamics of monohydroxy alcohols, Physical Review Letters 2024, 132. 058201. IF=9.2
• 27. S. Patil, R. Sun, Shinian Cheng, and S. Cheng, Molecular mechanism of the Debye relaxation in monohydroxy alcohols revealed from rheo-dielectric spectroscopy, Physical Review Letters 2023, 130(9), 098201. IF=9.2
• 28. Z. Wojnarowska, Shinian Cheng, B. Yao, M. Swadzba-Kwasny, S. McLaughlin, A. McGrogan, Y. Delavoux, and M. Paluch, Pressure-induced liquid-liquid transition in a family of ionic materials, Nature Communications 2022, 13(1), 1. IF=16.6
• 29. M. Rams-Baron, B. Yao, Shinian Cheng, M. Dulski, and M. Paluch, Complex reorientation dynamics of sizable glass-formers with polar rotors revealed by dielectric spectroscopy, Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2021, 12(46), 11303. IF=5.7
• 30. Shinian Cheng, Z. Wojnarowska, M. Musiał, and M. Paluch, Correlation between configurational entropy, excess entropy, and ion dynamics in imidazolium-based ionic liquids: Test of the Adam-Gibbs model, Journal of Chemical Physics 2021, 154, 044502. IF=3.1
• 31. Shinian Cheng, Z. Wojnarowska, M. Musiał, S. Kolodziej, E. Drockenmuller, and M. Paluch, Studies on ion dynamics of polymerized ionic liquids through the free volume theory, Polymer 2021, 212, 123286. IF=4.1
• 32. M. Musiał, S. Bair, Shinian Cheng, Z. Wojnarowska, and M. Paluch, Fractional walden rule for aprotic ionic liquids: experimental verification over a wide range of temperatures and pressures, Journal of Molecular Liquids 2021, 331, 115772. IF=5.3
• 33. M. Musiał, Shinian Cheng, Z. Wojnarowska, and M. Paluch, Magnitude of dynamically correlated molecules as an indicator for a dynamical crossover in ionic liquids, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2021, 125, 16, 4141. IF=3.4
• 34. Shinian Cheng, Z. Wojnarowska, M. Musiał, and M. Paluch, The behavior of conductivity dynamic modulus and its connection to thermodynamic bulk modulus in ionic liquids, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2020, 22 (34), 19342. IF=2.9
• 35. Shinian Cheng, M. Musiał, Z. Wojnarowska, K.L. Ngai, J. Jacquemin, and M. Paluch, Universal scaling behavior of entropy and conductivity in ionic liquids, Journal of Molecular Liquids 2020, 316, 113824. IF=5.3
• 36. Shinian Cheng, M. Musiał, Z. Wojnarowska, and M. Paluch, The relation between molecular dynamics and configurational entropy in room temperature ionic liquids: Test of Adam-Gibbs model, Journal of Chemical Physics 2020, 152, 091101. IF=3.1
• 37. M. Musiał, Shinian Cheng, Z. Wojnarowska, B. Yao, K. Jurkiewicz, and M. Paluch, Thorough studies of tricyanomethanide-based ionic liquids-the influence of alkyl chain length of the cation, Soft Matter 2020, 16 (41), 9479. IF=3.4
• 38. M. Musiał, Shinian Cheng, Z. Wojnarowska, and M. Paluch, Density, viscosity, and high-pressure conductivity studies of tricyanomethanide-based ionic liquids, Journal of Molecular Liquids 2020, 317, 113971. IF=5.3
• 39. Z. Wojnarowska, M. Musiał, Shinian Cheng, J. Gapinski, A. Patkowski, J. Piontek, and M. Paluch, Revealing fast proton transport in condensed matter by means of density scaling concept, Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2020, 124 (29), 15749. IF=3.7
• 40. M. Musiał, Z. Wojnarowska, Shinian Cheng, K. L. Ngai, and M. Paluch, Evidence of a fundamental mechanism governing conductivity relaxation in room-temperature ionic liquid, Journal of Physical Chemistry 2019, 123(36), 22089. IF=3.7
• Agricultural Hydraulic Engineering:
• 41. Shinian Cheng, and G. Fan, Effects of different film mulching on variation characteristics of loess surface density during maize growth period, Water Saving Irrigation 2017, 06, 26-29.
• 42. Shinian Cheng, and G. Fan, Saline-alkali soil Philip infiltration model parameters prediction based on support vector machine, Water Saving Irrigation 2017, 09, 47-50.
• 43. Shinian Cheng, and G. Fan, Philip infiltration parameters of Neural Network prediction model for saline-alkali soil, Chinese Journal of Soil Science 2017, 48(03), 569-574.
• 44. Shinian Cheng, and G. Fan, Nonlinear prediction model of infiltration parameters of saline-alkali wasteland, Yellow River 2017, 39(07), 144-148.
• 1. Invited speaker: “High-pressure dielectric studies as a key for understanding the dynamics of ionic glass-formers”, 11th Conference on Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy and its Applications, 2022, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
• 2. Oral Presentation: “Unexpectedly large entropic barrier controls bond rearrangements in vitrimers”, 2026 APS March Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, United States.
• 3. Oral Presentation: “Critical role of the steric factor in the viscoelasticity of vitrimers”, 2025 APS March Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, United States.
• 4. Oral Presentation: “Generic behavior of ultrastability and anisotropic molecular packing in co-deposited organic semiconductor glass mixtures”, 2024 APS March Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
• 5. Oral Presentation: “Surface equilibration mechanism controls the stability of co-deposited organic semiconductor glasses”, 2023 APS March Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, United States.
• 6. Oral Presentation: “High Pressure Studies As a Key for Understanding the Ion Dynamics of Polymerized Ionic Liquids”, 2023 AIChE Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, United States.
• 7. Oral Presentation: “Influence of chain rigidity on ion dynamics in polymerized ionic liquids: Insight from high-pressure dielectric studies”, 2022 APS March Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, United States.
• 8. Poster: “Unexpectedly large entropic barrier controls bond rearrangements in vitrimers”, 2025 International Symposium on Stimuli-Responsive Materials, Windsor, CA, United States.
• 9. Poster: “Molecular mechanism of the Debye relaxation in monohydroxy alcohols revealed from rheo-dielectric spectroscopy”, Gordon Research Seminar, Chemistry and Physics of Liquids, 2023, Holderness School in New Hampshire, United States.
• 10. Poster: “High-pressure dielectric studies as a key for understanding the dynamics of ionic glass-formers”, International Dielectric Society (IDS) online workshop, 2021.
• 11. Co-author: “Understanding the viscoelasticity of vitrimers: from metastasis to steric factor”, 2025 APS March Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, United States.
• 12. Co-author: “Phase separation mechanisms in vapor-deposited multi-component glasses”, 2025 APS March Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, United States.
• 13. Co-author: “Dense co-deposited glasses of organic semiconductors have enhanced thermal stability”, 2024 APS March Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
• 14. Co-author: “Using Resonant Soft X-Ray Scattering (RSoXS) to Study Phase Separation in Smooth and Rough Vapor-Deposited Glasses”, 2024 AIChE Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, United States.
• 15. Co-author: “Characterization of component segregation in co-deposited glasses of TCTA and Ir(ppy)3”, 2023 APS March Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, United States.
• 16. Co-author: “First consideration of density scaling of the dynamic and thermodynamic properties in polymerized ionic liquid”, 2020 APS March Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, United States.

• Postdoctoral research associate, May. 2024-present
• University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Research Advisor: Prof. Alexei P. Sokolov
• Research Topics: Synthesis and characterization of recyclable polymers with dynamic bonds and design highly conductive solid electrolytes; Control Supercooling of Phase Change Materials with Electric Fields
• Postdoctoral research associate, Dec. 2021-May. 2024
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, Research Advisor: Prof. Mark D. Ediger
• Research Topic: Control and synthesis of ultrastable thin-film glasses through physical vapor deposition for advanced organic semiconductors.
• Research Assistant, Sep. 2018- Oct. 2021
• University of Silesia in Katowice (Poland), Research Advisor: Prof. Marian Paluch
• Research Topic: Ion transport mechanism of ionic conductive materials under ambient and high pressures.
• Research Assistant, Sep. 2015- Jun. 2018
• Taiyuan University of Technology (China), Research Advisor: Prof. Guisheng Fan
• Research Topic: Modeling water dynamics and irrigation design via machine learning (Artificial Neural Network and Support Vector Machines).

• NSF-Division of Materials Research (Award ID 2515834)
• Principal Investigator: Alexei P. Sokolov
• My contribution included conceiving the proposal title and the three main research topics; conducting literature review and discussions; designing and synthesizing model-study samples, collecting preliminary results, and preparing the main figures; drafting the proposal and editing and reviewing it, with a particular focus on the “Project Description” section.
• 2024 ACS Early Career Postdoctoral-Faculty Bridge Grant Sustainability (Declined)
• My contribution included identifying funding opportunities for early-career researchers, formulating the research proposal idea and its three main topics, writing the required two-page proposal, and submitting it online.

• Teaching Assistant, Chem561, Physical Chemistry (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Spring Semester, 2024 (44 students)
• My role: leading discussion sections; preparing lecture notes, assignments, and solutions; testing and grading assignments and exams; holding office hours; providing instructional support to enhance student learning
• Teaching Assistant, Advisor: Prof. Marian Paluch (University of Silesia in Katowice), 2019-2021
• My role: leading lab sections; preparing experimental notes; assessing and grading lab reports.
• Mentor, Hayley Kositzke (undergraduate in University of Wisconsin-Madison, now Analyst, BioA with Labcorp), 2023
• My role: Mentored undergraduate students in physical vapor deposition (PVD) and spectroscopic ellipsometry, providing hands-on training in experimental design, instrument operation, data analysis, and laboratory safety, including high-vacuum, high-temperature, electrical, and optical hazards. laboratory safety training, encouraging critical-thinking; providing hands-on technical training on physical vapor deposition and spectroscopic ellipsometry
• Mentor, Gregory P. Carden (Ph.D. in University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and now postdoc in Oak Ridge National Lab); Lilliana Rey and Vikas Singh (Ph.D. candidates in University of Tennessee-Knoxville); 2024-present
• My role: leading research projects; helping research and skill development, assisting in career development; necessary personal support
• Mentor, Samara Rashid (UT-ORII internship student); June 1st 2025- July 31st 2025
• My role: leading lab research; assisting in skill and career development; necessary personal support
• Mentor, rotation students (Ph. D. candidates, University of Tennessee-Knoxville), 2025
• My role: provide the basic lab safety training; introducing research goals and ongoing projects; assigning short tasks and assessing students’ performance; integrating students into lab group community

• Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2022 and 2023
• Wisconsin Science Festival, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2023
• Science Expeditions, University of Wisconsin Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, 2023
• Engineering Expo, University of Wisconsin Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, 2023 and 2024
• Participant, Breakthrough in Research and Education Workshop, 2023