Dr. Haiping Fang

  Haiping FANG is a Senior Research Scientist and Director of the Division of Interfacial Water at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1994. His current research interests include the behavior of statistical physics at the nanoscale, interfacial water and its biological significance, stability and dynamics of nanobubbles and nanobubble-protein interactions, and liquid water anomalies. He has more than 100 journal publications and 3 patents. He won the 100 Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2002, National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars in 2008, and Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project in 2009. Currently he serves as the editorial board member for Scientific Report.

Some Representative Papers:

21. Wang, Xueliang; Shi, Guosheng; Liang, Shanshan; Liu, Jian; Li, Deyuan; Fang, Gang; Liu, Renduo; Yan, Long* & Fang, Haiping*; "Unexpectedly High Salt Accumulation inside Carbon Nanotubes Soaked in Dilute Salt Solutions" Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 226102 (2018).

20. Shi, Guosheng; Chen, Liang; Yang, Yizhou; Li, Deyuan; Qian, Zhe; Liang, Shanshan; Yan,Long; Li, Luhua; Wu, Minghong* & Fang, Haiping*; "Two-dimensional Na–Cl crystals of unconventional stoichiometries on graphene surface from dilute solution at ambient conditions" Nature Chemistry DOI:10.1038/s41557-018-0061-4 (2018).

19. Chen, Liang; Shi, Guosheng; Shen, Jie; Peng, Bingquan; Zhang, Bowu; Wang, Yuzhu; Bian, Fenggang; Wang, Jiajun; Li, Deyuan; Qian, Zhe; Xu, Gang; Liu, Gongping; Zeng, Jianrong; Zhang, Lijuan; Yang, Yizhou; Zhou, Guoquan; Wu, Minghong*; Jin, Wanqin*; Li, Jingye* & Fang, Haiping*; "Ion sieving in graphene oxide membranes via cationic control of interlayer spacing" Nature 550, 5-8 (2017).

18. Geng, Hongya; Liu, Xing; Shi, Guosheng*; Bai, Guoying; Ma, Ji; Chen, Jingbo; Wu, Zhuangyuan; Song, Yanlin; Fang, Haiping & Wang, Jianjun*; "Graphene Oxide Restricts Growth and Recrystallization of Ice Crystals" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56, 997–1001 (2017).

17. Song, Bo*; Sun, Qian; Li, Haikuo; Ge, Baosheng; Pan, Jisheng; Andrew, Wee Thye Shen; Zhou, Ruhong; Gao, Xingyu*; Huang, Fang* & Fang, Haiping; "Irreversible denaturation of proteins due to the aluminum-induced ring structure" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 53, 6358-6363 (2014).

16. Zhao, Liang; Wang, Chunlei; Liu, Jian; Wen, Binghai; Tu, Yusong; Wang, Zuowei & Fang, Haiping*; "Reversible State Transition in Nano-Confined Aqueous Solutions" Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 078301 (2014).

15. Tu, Yusong; Lv, Min; Xiu, Peng; Huynh, Tien; Zhang, Meng; Castelli, Matteo; Liu, Zengrong; Huang, Qing; Fan, Chunhai; Fang, Haiping Fang & Zhou, Ruhong; "Destructive Extraction of Phospholipids from E. Coli Membrane by a Graphene Nanosheet" Nature Nanotech., 8, 594-601 (2013).

14. Duan, Manyi; Song, Bo; Shi, Guosheng; Li, Haikuo; Ji, Guangfu; Hu, Jun; Chen, Xiangrong* & Fang, Haiping*; "Cation ？3π: Cooperative interaction of a cation and three benzenes with an anomalous order in binding energy" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134 12104–12109 (2012).

13. Wang, Chunlei; Zhou, Bo; Tu, Yusong; Xiu, Peng; Li, Jingye & Fang, Haiping*; "Critical length for the wetting transition due to collective water-dipoles interactions" Scientific Reports 2, 358 (2012). (理论预言已经于2012年部分得到美国研究组的实验验证)

12. Gu, Wei; Zhou, Bo; Geyer, Tihamér; Hutter, Michael; Fang, Haiping* & Helms, Volkhard*; "Design of a gated molecular proton channel" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 50, 768 (2011).

11. Song, Bo; Yang, Junwei; Zhao, Jijun* & Fang, Haiping*; "Intercalation and diffusion of lithium ions in a carbon nanotube bundle by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations" Energy Environ. Sci. 4 1379 (2011).

10. Song, Bo; Li, Di; Qi, Wenpeng Elstner, Marcus; Fan, Chunhai* & Fang, Haiping*; "Graphene-on-Au(111): a Highly Conductive Material with Excellent Ability of the Adsorption for High-resolution Bio-/Nano-detection and Identification" Chem. Phys. Chem., 11, 585 (2010). Inside cover

9. Zuo, Guanghong; Huang, Qing; Wei, Guanghong; Zhou, Ruhong* & Fang, Haiping*; "Plugging Into Proteins: Poisoning Protein Function by a Hydrophobic Nanoparticle" ACS Nano. 4. 7508 (2010).

8. Xiu, Peng; Zhou, Bo; Qi, Wenpeng; Lu, Hangjun; Tu, Yusong; & Fang, Haiping*; "Manipulating biomolecules with aqueous liquids confined within single-walled nanotubes" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131, 2840 (2009).

7. Tu, Yusong; Xiu, Peng; Wan, Rongzheng; Hu, Jun; Zhou, Ruhong* & Fang, Haiping*; "Water-mediated signal transduction with Y-shaped carbon nanotube" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 106, 18120 (2009).

6. Wang,Chunlei; Lu, Hangjun; Wang, Zhigang Xiu, Peng; Zhou, Bo; Zuo, Guanghong; Wan, Rongzheng; Hu, Jun #amp Fang, Haiping*; "Stable Liquid Water Droplet on a Water Monolayer Formed at Room Temperature on Ionic Model Substrates" Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 137801 (2009). 理论预言已经于2011年得到澳大利亚研究组的实验验证

5. Fang, Haiping*; Wan, Rongzheng; Gong, Xiaojing; Lu, Hangjun Lu & Li, Songyan; "Dynamics of single-file water chains inside nanoscale channels: physics and biological significance and applications" J. Phys. D., 41, 103002 (2008).(Topical Review)

4. Gong, Xiaojing; Li, Jingyuan; Lu, Hangjun; Zhang, He; & Fang, Haiping*; "Enhancement of Water Permeation across a Nanochannel by the Structure outside the Channel" Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 257801 (2008).

3. Gong, Xiaojing; Li, Jingyuan; Lu, Hangjun; Wan, Rongzheng; Li, Jichen; Hu, Jun* & Fang, Haiping*; "A charge driven molecular water pump" Nature Nanotech. 2, 709-712 (2007).(Hightlighted in Nature Nanotech. "News & Views"、 "NATURE China"、"New Scientist")

2. Li, Jingyuan; Gong, Xiaojing; Lu, Hangjun; Li, Ding; Fang, Haiping* & Zhou, Ruhong* "Electrostatic Gating of a Nanometer Water Channel" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104, 3687 (2007).

1. Wan, Rongzheng;Li, Jingyuan; Lu, Hangjun & Fang Haiping*; "Controllable water channel gating of nanometer dimensions" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 7166 (2005).

Some representation work:
1. Distinguish water permeation property across the nanochannels inspired by the structure of water channels in the cellular membrane (aquaporins). On the basis of molecular dynamics simulations, we have performed a series study on the water permeation across the nanochannels. Water permeations across the nanochannels show excellent electric and mechanical on-off gatings when the water inside the channels forms single-file structures. We found unidirectional water transportation when there was a combination of charges positioned adjacent to a nanopore, inspired from biological water channels, Aquaporins. Further, due to the concerted charge dipoles of the single-file water, signal can be transmitted, converted and multiplified along the nanochannels. We also show that the biomolecules with aqueous liquids inside a single-walled nanotube can be controllably manipulated by using external charges outside the nanotube, which is expected to serve as lab-in-nanotube. For the single-wall channels, different from the macroscopic systems, the structure outside the channel can have significant impact on the water permeation inside the channels.

Water inside the aquoporins shows single-file structure. We found that water permeations across the nanochannels show excellent electric and mechanical on-off gatings when the water inside the channels forms single-file structures (J. Am. Chem. Soc.2005, 127, 7166; Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2007, 104, 3687).

There is partial charges inside the aquaporins. We found that unidirectional water transportation was induced by a combination of charges positioned adjacent to a nanopore, arranged as the partial charges in the aquaporins (Nature Nanotechnology 2007, 2, 709) and proposed a charge driven pump. Those work were reported and highlighted by scientific journals all around the world, such as the Nature Nanotechnology, New Scientist, Chemical World and Nature China.

There is a criticism that the static electric fields could not induce the unidirectional water transportation after the publication of this paper. In the section Statistical Physics at the Nanoscale, we have performed a series studies, based on the analysis (so that the numerical artefact can be reduced) and molecular dynamics. From there, we can see that the nanoscale particles with asymmetrical structure can have unidirectional transportation mediated by thermal fluctuations.

Considering the concerted charge dipoles of the single-file water, we proposed that signal at the one electron level can be transmitted, converted and multiplified along the nanochannels (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2009, 106, 18120).


We showed that the biomolecules with aqueous liquids inside a single-walled nanotube could be controllably manipulated by using external charges outside the nanotube, which is expected to serve as lab-in-nanotube (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 2840).


We used molecular dynamics simulation to study the effect of the external structure on water permeation across a single-walled nanochannel. In contrast with the macroscopic scenario, the outside structure greatly affects the water transport across the nanochannel. Remarkably, the ratio of maximal to minimal flux reached a value of about two for different outside structures. These findings are expected to be helpful in design of high-flux nanochannels and provide an insight into the contribution of the lipid membrane to water permeation across biological water channels. (PRL 2208, 101, 257801). 


2. Statistical Physics at the Nanoscale. Nanoscale systems usually exhibit behaviour different from macroscopic systems. There is a criticism that the static electric fields could not induce the unidirectional water transportation after the publication of the water pump ((Nature Nanotechnology 2007, 2, 709)). In order to answer this criticism, we have performed a series studies, mainly based on the analysis so that the numerical artefact can be reduced.
Based on a simple we have shown that asymmetric transport is feasible in non-nanoscale systems with asymmetric structures experiencing thermal noise, without the presence of external fluctuations (Sci China-Phys Mech Astron 2012, 53, 1565). The key to this theoretical advance is the recognition that thermal noise, previously considered to be white noise, is not white at the nanoscale, i.e., the autocorrelation time of thermal noise becomes significantly long in nanoscale systems.

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we show that free diffusion of a nanoscale particle (molecule) with asymmetric structure critically depends on the orientation in a finite timescale of picoseconds to nanoseconds (Sci. China-Phys. Mech. Astron. 2013, 56, 1047). In a timescale of ~100 ps, there are ~10% more possibilities for the particle moving along the initial orientation than moving opposite to the orientation; and the diffusion distances of the particle reach ~1 nm. We find that the key to this observation is the orientation-dependence of the damping force to the moving of the nanoscale particle and a finite time is required to regulate the particle orientation. From this finding, we expect a directional transportation along the preferred orientation if the asymmetric orientation of the particle/molecule is constrained.



Using a simple theoretical model of a nanoscale asymmetric particle/molecule with asymmetric structure or/and asymmetric charge distribution, i.e., a charge dipole as an example, we show that there is unidirectional transportation mediated by non-white fluctuations if the asymmetric orientation of the particle/molecule is constrained (arXiv: 1307.6096). From this model, we found that that the existence of the non-white fluctuations is the key to the unidirectional transportation.

In practical systems, unidirectional transportation also exists if the asymmetric orientation of the particle/molecule is constrained since thermal fluctuations are not white anymore at nanoscale. We have studied the behavior of an ultrathin water layer on solid surface at room temperature with the orientations of water molecules confined by a static electric field (arXiv: 1307.6096). Unidirectional transportation along the preferred orientations is observed. The advantage of this system over the nanochannels lies that the water molecules in this system is much larger so that there are less fluctuations. In order to avoid the possible artifacts, we used the software of LAMMPS rather than Gromacs in the MD simulations.

Further, based on molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the auto-correlation time length of thermal noise in water is ~ 10 ps at room temperature, which indicates that thermal noise is not white in the molecular-scale while thermal noise can be reasonably assumed as white in macro- and mesco-scale systems. The auto-correlation time length of thermal noise is intrinsic since the value is almost unchanged for different temperature coupling methods. Interestingly, the auto-correlation time of thermal noise is correlated with the lifetime of hydrogen bonds, suggesting that the finite auto-correlation time length of thermal noise mainly comes from the finite lifetime of the interactions between neighbouring water molecules.


3. Unexpected hydrophobic behavior on the solid surfaces with charge dipoles at room temperatures. Conventionally, the surface with charges or charge dipoles is hydrophilic, whereas the non-polar surface is hydrophobic. On the basis of molecular dynamics simulations, we found that surfaces still appear hydrophobic or “apparent” hydrophobic behaviors even when there are charge dipoles on the solid surface at room temperature. Those include the phenomenon of “ordered water monolayer that does not completely wet water” and hydrophobic surfaces with dense charge dipoles.

Water monolayer with ordered structure that does not completely wet water at room temperature. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we found that there can be a water droplet on a water monolayer at room temperature (Phys. Rev. Lett. 2009, 103, 137801). This phenomenon is attributed to the ordering of the water monolayer beneath the water droplet, where the ordering structure greatly enhances the hydrogen bonds inside the monolayer and thus reduces the possibility to make the hydrogen bonds between the monolayer and the droplet. Later, similar phenomena have been observed numerically on the surfaces of many real materials, including the talc, hydroxylated Al2O3, hydroxylated SiO2 and Pt(100), and experimentally on the self-assemble monolayer (SAM) surface with the terminal of –COOH (Soft Matter 2011, 7, 5309). It has been highlighted in the scientific journal Nature Materials (Nat. Mater. (“News and Views”) 2013, 12, 289).


Hydrophobic behavior on the solid surfaces with charge dipoles on the solid surfaces. Conventionally, the surface with charges or charge dipoles is hydrophilic, whereas the non-polar surface is hydrophobic. Counter to this intuition, we have shown that the solid surface still exhibits hydrophobic behavior when the dipole length is less than the critical value, indicating that the water molecules on the solid surface seemed not to “feel” attractive interactions from the charge dipoles on the solid surface (Sci. Rep. 2012, 2, 358). When the length of the charge dipoles on the solid surface is larger than the critical length, the surface with a larger charge is more hydrophilic, which is consistent with conventional theory. Those unexpected observations result from the collective interactions between the water molecules and charge dipoles on the solid surface, where the steric exclusion effect between water molecules greatly reduces the water-dipole interactions. Recently, the hydrophobic behaviour due to small lattice length, which results from small charge dipoles, has been observed experimentally (Phys. Rev. E 2012, 85, 031501). Remarkably, the steric exclusion effect is also important for surfaces with charge dipole lengths greater than this critical length.