Ocean Cheung

Short presentation

Principal Investigator of MOF@UU - MOF and porous materials at Uppsala University

I lead Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) research at Uppsala University through our group The Cheungsters. My research focuses on MOFs, COFs, and HOFs for greenhouse gas mitigation, water harvesting, hydrogen production and storage, and PFAS removal.

I also advocate Open Science and effective science communication, and host MOFCast, highlighted by COST as Science communication: best example.

Keywords

• porous materials
• metal organic frameworks
• MOFs
• water treatment
• gas separation
• hydrogen production
• functional materials
• water harvesting
• PFAS

Biography

Ocean Cheung is an internationally recognized expert in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), coordination polymers and porous materials, known for advancing both the science and its standards. His work bridges fundamental materials design with global coordination, ensuring the field develops not only new breakthroughs but also shared frameworks for discovery and communication.

He has received some of Sweden’s highest distinctions for young researchers, including the “Swedish King Gustaf's 50th Birthday Award for Sciences, Engineering and Environment“ in 2018 and the “Oscar Prize for young scientists“ in 2020. In 2023, he co-organized the Nobel Symposium NS-193 “Fundamental Science Enabling Transformative Materials,” convening world leaders in chemistry to set future directions for transformative materials research. He has delivered invited lectures at major international MOF/porous materials meetings, including MOF2024 in Singapore and PBAST-9 in Malaysia .

Beyond the laboratory, Ocean is shaping the global MOF community through communication and standardization. He is the creator and host of MOFCast, the world’s first and only podcast dedicated to MOFs, and plays a key leadership role in the COST Action EU4MOFs, driving efforts on synthesis and characterization standards. He also spearheads the Materials Preparation Information File (MPIF), now emerging as the international benchmark for documenting materials synthesis.

Ocean holds an MChem degree from the University of Warwick, UK, and a PhD in Materials Chemistry from Stockholm University, Sweden, where he studied under Prof. Niklas Hedin on advanced porous materials for carbon dioxide capture. Following postdoctoral research with Prof. Maria Strømme at Uppsala University and then at Heriot-Watt University, UK, he returned to Uppsala University, to start his own research group in the Division of Nanotechnology and Functional Materials - led by Prof Maria Strømme

Research

We lead MOF research at Uppsala University, advancing framework-based porous materials with a focus on MOFs. Our group distinguishes itself through the molecular design and synthesis of entirely new frameworks, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and related classes such as hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs). These materials are engineered for urgent global challenges, including greenhouse gas mitigation (CO₂, SF₆, CH₄), removal and degradation of PFAS, atmospheric water harvesting, and hydrogen production and storage.

This research directly contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation (PFAS removal and water harvesting)
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy (hydrogen production and storage)
• SDG 13: Climate Action (greenhouse gas mitigation)
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production (catalytic conversion of pollutants into value-added products)

We adopt a comprehensive materials development strategy that spans from the molecular design and synthesis of novel organic linkers, through tailoring of metal clusters, to precise pore-size engineering via post-synthetic modification. This integrated approach allows us to create MOFs with finely tuned properties — for example, frameworks optimized for high-selectivity gas separation through size exclusion or for enhanced molecular interactions that capture and remove PFAS molecules.

In parallel, we incorporate catalytic functionalities into MOFs, enabling them not only to capture pollutants but also to transform them into value-added products or to break down persistent contaminants such as PFAS. By uniting design, function, and application, our research pushes porous materials beyond conventional boundaries and toward sustainable, real-world solutions.

Group website: http://www.thecheungsters.group

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.se/citations?user=TIu5VwwAAAAJ&hl=en