Muhammad Zeeshan

Engineering ionic microenvironments for a carbon neutral future.

Chemical engineer developing electrochemical CO₂ conversion and direct air capture technologies, from ionic liquid materials to reactive capture media and critical metal recovery.

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About

The research vision in the researcher's own words, with the verified scholarly highlights.

Research vision

Develop and engineer confined ionic microenvironments at electrified porous interfaces to understand and control molecular and ionic transport, reaction pathways, and selectivity for electrochemical CO₂ conversion and selective recovery of critical metals from aqueous solutions.

01Scholarly impact

22 peer reviewed publications, including 10 first author papers, in journals including JACS, Advanced Functional Materials, Chemical Engineering Journal, Carbon, Chemical Society Reviews, Science Advances, and ACS Materials Letters.

02Research leadership and translation

Developed microwave and radiofrequency sorbent regeneration and membrane gas separation setups, co inventor on a U.S. provisional patent, and contributed to awarded DOE Office of Science and Expanding Horizons Initiative proposals.

03Teaching, mentoring and service

Teaching assistant experience across six courses, MIT Kaufman Teaching Certificate training, mentoring of undergraduate and graduate researchers, and reviewer for more than 20 manuscripts.

Research expertise

Eight areas, one thread: engineering ionic microenvironments at electrified porous interfaces.

  1. Electrochemical CO₂ ConversionReactive capture and electrochemical reduction of CO₂ in amine based capture media at MIT, with electrolytes designed to suppress hydrogen evolution and promote faradaic efficiency.
  2. Direct Air CaptureReactive IL/MOF sorbents engineered for DAC of CO₂, enhancing capture performance and minimizing mass transfer limitations.
  3. Ionic Liquids and Eutectic SolventsFrom core shell ionic liquid/MOF composites to hydrogen bond tuned eutectic solvents, designing the ionic microenvironments that control selectivity.
  4. Metal Organic FrameworksIL/MOF composites with exceptionally high CO₂/CH₄ selectivity, mapped thermal stability limits, and rational design toward infinite CO₂ selectivity.
  5. Microwave and RF RegenerationA laboratory scale capability for microwave and radiofrequency assisted dielectric heating of CO₂ sorbents, with enhanced heating and desorption rates.
  6. Membrane and Gas SeparationsMixed matrix membranes and sorbent systems for CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄ separation, from synthesis to measured selectivity.
  7. Critical Metal RecoverySelective recovery of critical metals from aqueous solutions through engineered electrified porous interfaces.
  8. Data Science for MaterialsQSPR models and experiment guided machine learning to predict solvent properties and select ionic liquid electrolytes.

Experience

A research path from Quetta to Istanbul, Cleveland, and Cambridge.

Mar 2025 to Present

Postdoctoral Associate

Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyGallant Lab, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Cambridge, MA · PI: Prof. Betar Gallant

  • Identified the proton donor species that drive the hydrogen evolution reaction and the dominant reaction pathways in amine based capture media.
  • Designed and optimized electrolytes that suppress hydrogen evolution activity and promote the faradaic efficiency of CO₂ conversion.
  • Reactive capture
  • Electrochemical reduction
  • Electrolyte design
Aug 2022 to Mar 2025

Postdoctoral Researcher

Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH · PI: Prof. Burcu Gurkan

  • Designed reactive IL/MOF sorbents for direct air capture of CO₂, enhancing capture performance and minimizing mass transfer limitations.
  • Developed and established a new laboratory scale capability for microwave and radiofrequency assisted dielectric heating of CO₂ sorbents, and demonstrated enhanced heating and CO₂ desorption rates.
  • Developed a multiple linear regression QSPR model using molecular descriptors to predict the viscosity and CO₂ capture capacity of functionalized deep eutectic solvents.
  • Sorbent design
  • RF heating
  • QSPR modeling

Education

The foundations: a gold medal BS in Quetta and a PhD in Istanbul.

MS and PhD, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Feb 2017 to Dec 2021

Koç University

Istanbul, Turkey · Advisors: Prof. Alper Uzun and Prof. Seda Keskin

  • Fabricated ionic liquid/MOF composites for CO₂ separation from N₂ and CH₄.
  • Screened 29 ionic liquids with CuBTC and ZIF-8 through thermal degradation analysis, quantifying decomposition onset temperatures to identify the structural factors governing thermal stability of IL/MOF composites.
  • Measured CO₂, N₂, and CH₄ adsorption isotherms on HPVA II (Micromeritics) and iSorb HP2 (Quantachrome) analyzers; quantified uptake, working capacity, BET surface area, and pore and particle size distributions.
Gas adsorptionCompositesThermal analysis

BS, Chemical Engineering

Sept 2011 to Aug 2015

BUITEMS

Quetta, Pakistan

  • CGPA 3.88/4.00, recipient of the University Gold Medal, ranked 1st in the class.
  • Merit Scholarship holder across all four years (2011 to 2015).
Gold Medal1st in classMerit Scholarship

Publications

22 peer reviewed papers, 10 as first author. Four landmark papers below, then the complete record by year.

Journal of the American Chemical Society2018First author

Core Shell Type Ionic Liquid/Metal Organic Framework Composite: An Exceptionally High CO₂/CH₄ Selectivity

M. Zeeshan, V. Nozari, M.B. Yagci, T. Isık, U. Unal, V. Ortalan, S. Keskin, A. Uzun

Featured a Journal Cover Art and highlighted in Chemical & Engineering News

Advanced Functional Materials2022First author

An integrated computational experimental hierarchical approach for the rational design of an IL/UiO-66 composite offering infinite CO₂ selectivity

M. Zeeshan, H. C. Gülbalkan, O. Durak, Z. P. Haşlak, S. Keskin, A. Uzun

Chemical Society Reviews2024

Reactive capture and electrochemical conversion of CO₂ with ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents

S. Dongare, M. Zeeshan, A. S. Aydogdu, Ruth Dikki, S. F. K. Öztulum, O. K. Coskun, M. Muñoz, A. Banerjee, M. Gautam, R. D. Ross, J. Stanley, R. S. Brower, B. Muchharla, R. L. Sacci, J. M. Velázquez, B. Kumar, J. Y. Yang, C. Hahn, S. Keskin, C. G. M. Guio, A. Uzun, J. M. Spurgeon, B. Gurkan

Science Advances2025

Super resolution imaging reveals resistance to mass transfer in functionalized stationary phases

R.M Neria, M. Zeeshan, A. Kapoor, Tae K. J. Kim, N. Hoven, J. S Pigott, B. Gurkan, C. E. Duval, R. A Saylor, L. Kisley

2026

1 paper

  • 22

    Multi responsive polymers with degradable side chain functionality for controlled hydrolysis and tunable thermal transition

    RSC Applied Polymers2026

    M. B. Khoshgoee, M. K. Debnath, G. Pardo, Y. Yuan, M. Zeeshan, E. Mao, T. G. Gray, B. Gurkan, M. J. Bertin, M. Karayilan

2025

2 papers

  • 20

    Super resolution imaging reveals resistance to mass transfer in functionalized stationary phases

    Science Advances2025

    R.M Neria, M. Zeeshan, A. Kapoor, Tae K. J. Kim, N. Hoven, J. S Pigott, B. Gurkan, C. E. Duval, R. A Saylor, L. Kisley

  • 21

    Sorbent Regeneration via Radiofrequency Assisted Dielectric Heating for Direct Air Capture of CO₂

    ACS Applied Engineering Materials2025First author

    M. Zeeshan, B. Gurkan

2024

5 papers

  • 15

    Composition property relationships of choline based eutectic solvents: impact of the hydrogen bond donor and CO₂ saturation

    RSC Green Chemistry2024

    R. Dikki, V. Khokhar, M. Zeeshan, S. Bhattacharjee, O. Coskan, R. B. Getman, B. Gurkan

  • 16

    Reactive capture and electrochemical conversion of CO₂ with ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents

    Chemical Society Reviews2024

    S. Dongare, M. Zeeshan, A. S. Aydogdu, Ruth Dikki, S. F. K. Öztulum, O. K. Coskun, M. Muñoz, A. Banerjee, M. Gautam, R. D. Ross, J. Stanley, R. S. Brower, B. Muchharla, R. L. Sacci, J. M. Velázquez, B. Kumar, J. Y. Yang, C. Hahn, S. Keskin, C. G. M. Guio, A. Uzun, J. M. Spurgeon, B. Gurkan

  • 17

    Double Emulsion Microencapsulation of Ionic Liquids for Carbon Capture

    Materials Horizons2024

    N. C. Starvaggi, L. Al-Mahbobi, M. Zeeshan, E. C. Barrios, B. Gurkan, E. B. Pentzer

  • 18

    Selection of ionic liquid electrolytes for high performing lithium sulfur batteries: An experiment guided high throughput machine learning analysis

    Chemical Engineering Journal2024

    A. Kilic, O. Abdelaty, M. Zeeshan, A. Uzun, R. Yildirim, D. Eroglu

  • 19

    Ionic Liquid Functionalizes the Metal Organic Framework for Microwave Assisted Direct Air Capture of CO₂

    ACS Materials Letters2024First author

    M. Zeeshan, A. Klemm, J. T. Damron, K. A. Unocic, M. K. Kidder, B. Gurkan

2023

2 papers

  • 13

    Impact of Hydrogen Bonds on CO₂ Binding in Eutectic Solvents: An Experimental and Computational Study toward Sorbent Design for CO₂ Capture

    ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering2023

    A. Klemm, S. P. Vicchio, S. Bhattacharjee, E. Cagli, Y. Park, M. Zeeshan, R. Dikki, H. Liu, M. K. Kidder, R. B. Getman, B. Gurkan

  • 14

    Direct air capture of CO₂: from insights into the current and emerging approaches to future opportunities

    Frontiers in Sustainability2023First author

    M. Zeeshan, M. K. Kidder, E. Pentzer, R. B. Getman, B. Gurkan

2022

4 papers

  • 9

    Composites of porous materials with ionic liquids: synthesis, characterization, applications, and beyond

    Microporous and Mesoporous Materials2022

    O. Durak, M. Zeeshan, N. Habib, H. C. Gülbalkan, A. A. A. M. Alsuhile, H. P Çağlayan, S. F. Kurtoğlu-Öztulum, Y. Zhao, Z. P. Haşlak, A. Uzun, S. Keskin

  • 10

    [BMIM][OAc] Coating Layer Makes Activated Carbon Almost Completely Selective for CO₂

    Chemical Engineering Journal2022

    O. Durak, M. Zeeshan, S. Keskin, A. Uzun

  • 11

    An integrated computational experimental hierarchical approach for the rational design of an IL/UiO-66 composite offering infinite CO₂ selectivity

    Advanced Functional Materials2022First author

    M. Zeeshan, H. C. Gülbalkan, O. Durak, Z. P. Haşlak, S. Keskin, A. Uzun

  • 12

    A Novel IL/MOF/Polymer Mixed Matrix Membrane having Superior CO₂/N₂ Selectivity

    Journal of Membrane Science2022

    N. Habib, O. Durak, M. Zeeshan, A. Uzun, S. Keskin

2021

1 paper

  • 8

    Doubling CO₂/N₂ separation performance of CuBTC by incorporation of 1-n-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate

    Microporous and Mesoporous Materials2021First author

    M. Zeeshan, H. C. Gulbalkan, Z. P. Haslak, S. Keskin, A. Uzun

2020

2 papers

  • 6

    Influence of anion size and electronic structure on the gas separation performance of ionic liquid/ZIF-8 composites

    Microporous and Mesoporous Materials2020First author

    M. Zeeshan, H. Kulak, S. Kavak, H.M. Polat, O. Durak, S. Keskin, A. Uzun

  • 7

    A new class of porous materials for efficient CO₂ separation: Ionic liquid/graphene aerogel composites

    Carbon2020First author

    M. Zeeshan, K. Yalcin, F. E. S. Oztuna, U. Unal, S. Keskin, A. Uzun

2019

2 papers

  • 4

    Structural factors determining thermal stability limits of ionic liquid/MOF composites: Imidazolium ionic liquids combined with CuBTC and ZIF-8

    ACS Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research2019First author

    M. Zeeshan, V. Nozari, S. Keskin, A. Uzun

  • 5

    Unlocking CO₂ Separation Performance of Ionic Liquid/CuBTC Composites: Combining Experiments with Molecular Simulations

    Chemical Engineering Journal2019

    H.M. Polat, M. Zeeshan, A. Uzun, S. Keskin

2018

3 papers

  • 1

    Core Shell Type Ionic Liquid/Metal Organic Framework Composite: An Exceptionally High CO₂/CH₄ Selectivity

    Journal of the American Chemical Society2018First author

    M. Zeeshan, V. Nozari, M.B. Yagci, T. Isık, U. Unal, V. Ortalan, S. Keskin, A. Uzun

    Featured a Journal Cover Art and highlighted in Chemical & Engineering News

  • 2

    Enhancing CO₂/CH₄ and CO₂/N₂ Separation Performances of ZIF-8 by Post Synthesis Modification with [BMIM][SCN]

    Polyhedron2018First author

    M. Zeeshan, S. Keskin, A. Uzun

  • 3

    Effect of Methylation in Ionic Liquids on the Gas Separation Performance of Ionic Liquid/Metal Organic Framework Composites

    CrystEngComm2018

    V. Nozari, M. Zeeshan, S. Keskin, A. Uzun

View all on Google Scholar

Conference presentations

Invited and contributed talks and posters across the United States and Europe.

  • Facilitated Transport Membranes for Selective Separation of CO₂ at Low Concentration

    Ohio Space ForumCleveland, Ohio, USAApril 29 to 30, 2024

    Y. Lee, A. Klemm, M. Zeeshan, B. Gurkan

    Poster

  • Microwave and Moisture Swing Regenerability of Reactive Porous Composites for Direct Air Capture of CO₂

    Gordon Research Seminar (GRS)Grand Galvez, Galveston, Texas, USAJan 20 to 21, 2024

    M. Zeeshan, A. Klemm, J. T. Damron, M. K. Kidder, B. Gurkan

    Oral

  • Microwave and Moisture Swing Regenerability of Reactive Porous Composites for Direct Air Capture of CO₂

    Gordon Research Conference (GRC)Galveston, Texas, USAJan 21 to 26, 2024

    M. Zeeshan, A. Klemm, J. T. Damron, M. K. Kidder, B. Gurkan

    Poster

  • Microwave and Moisture Swing Regenerability of Reactive Porous Composites for Direct Air Capture of CO₂

    ACS Fall 2023San Francisco, California, USAAug 13 to 17, 2023

    M. Zeeshan, A. Klemm, E. Cagli, B. Gurkan

    Oral

  • A Core Shell Type Ionic Liquid/Metal Organic Framework Composite: an exceptional improvement in CO₂ uptake and CO₂/CH₄ selectivity

    Euro MOF 2019Paris, FranceOct 27 to 30, 2019

    M. Zeeshan, V. Nozari, M.B. Yagci, T. Isık, U. Unal, V. Ortalan, S. Keskin, A. Uzun

    Poster

Funding and patents

Awarded federal and interdisciplinary grants, industry proposals, and a U.S. provisional patent.

  • Awarded

    Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science

    Federal research grant

    Proposal development with Prof. Burcu Gurkan, CWRU (2023 to 2025).

  • Awarded

    Expanding Horizons Initiative 2025

    Interdisciplinary Large (INT-L)

    Awarded $30,000 through the interdisciplinary large category.

  • Proposal

    DOE Energy Earthshot: Carbon Negative

    Advanced Scientific Computing Research

    Proposal development with Prof. Burcu Gurkan, CWRU (2023 to 2025).

  • Proposal

    Boeing Co. research proposal

    Industry sponsored research

    Proposal development with Prof. Burcu Gurkan, CWRU (2023 to 2025).

U.S. Provisional PatentFiled May 2024Co inventor

Electromagnetic Based Regeneration of CO₂ Reactive Porous Composites for Direct Air Capture

U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63/650,098Inventors: M. Zeeshan and B. Gurkan

Teaching and mentoring

A certified, evidence based teaching practice built across six courses and years of mentoring.

Sept 2025 to Dec 2025

Teaching certificate

MIT Kaufman Teaching Certificate Program

  • Completed an intensive workshop series on evidence based teaching focused on course design, inclusive pedagogy, and student assessment.
  • Designed a Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics syllabus using backward design to align learning goals, instructional activities, and assessment.
  • Delivered recorded teaching demonstrations and used peer feedback to strengthen instructional clarity and student engagement.

Teaching assistantship

  • General Chemistry 103 Lab3 semesters
  • Advanced Reaction Engineering2 semesters
  • Physics 102 Lab1 semester
  • Catalysis at Surfaces1 semester
  • Introduction to MATLAB1 semester
  • Thermodynamics CHBI 2041 semester

Service

  • Peer review

    Reviewer for more than 20 manuscripts in CO₂ capture, separations, and materials science.

  • Research mentoring

    Mentored undergraduate and graduate researchers across interdisciplinary projects.

  • Teaching assistant

    Teaching assistant experience across six courses at Koç University (Feb 2017 to Nov 2021).

Awards and honors

Recognition from the American Chemical Society, the Gordon Research Conference, and Case Western Reserve University.

  • 2025

    Energy & Fuels Excellence in Review Award

    American Chemical Society

  • 2024

    Poster Award

    Gordon Research Conference, Chemical Separation, Galveston, Texas, USA

  • 2024

    Postdoc Spotlight of the Month

    Case Western Reserve University, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

  • 2020

    Second Prize, EFSUN Best Paper Award Competition

    Istanbul, Turkey

  • 2011 to 2015

    Merit Scholarship

    BUITEMS

Technical skills

The instruments, the characterization suite, and the modeling toolbox behind the results.

Gas Adsorption and Electrochemistry

  • High pressure volumetric gas sorption
  • BET surface area analysis
  • Dynamic CO₂ breakthrough
  • Cyclic voltammetry
  • Linear sweep voltammetry
  • Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
  • Chronoamperometry

Materials Characterization

  • SEM
  • XRD
  • TGA
  • NMR
  • GC
  • XRF
  • XPS
  • FTIR

Data Analysis, Modeling and Visualization

  • Python
  • MATLAB
  • COSMOthermX
  • Spartan quantum chemical calculations
  • QSPR modeling
  • MS Office

Get in touch

The fastest way to reach me is email. For the full record, the CV and the verified profiles are one click away.

The portrait of Muhammad Zeeshan

The fastest way to reach me is email.

The fastest way to reach me is email. For the full record, the CV and the verified profiles are one click away.

zeeshanm@mit.edu
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