About

Max Shtein is a professor in the Michigan Materials Science and Engineering department. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California Berkeley (1998) and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University (2004). His research group focuses on the science, processing, and application of functional organic and hybrid materials for electronics and optoelectronics, including lighting, displays, photovoltaic, and thermal energy conversion devices. His work involves using modeling and experimental advances in optics and electronics to develop novel multi-scale, fiber-based devices, as well as origami- and kirigami-inspired functional structures. Additionally, he applies his expertise in molecular organic materials processing to enhance the performance and manufacturability of pharmaceuticals. His research combines rigorous computer modeling validated by experiments, spanning fundamental and applied topics. Dr. Shtein has received several awards, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2007, the John R. and Beverly S. Holt Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2007, the Newport Award of Excellence and Leadership in Photonics and Optoelectronics in 2004, and the Materials Research Society Graduate Student Gold Medal Award in 2001.

Research topics

• Materials science
• Optoelectronics
• Nanotechnology
• Optics
• Computer science

Selected publications

• High aspect ratio organic light-emitting diodes

  Nature Communications · 2025-12-14

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Reliability is particularly challenging for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) used in solid-state lighting applications, because OLED lifetime is inversely proportional to luminance, and most lighting applications demand high luminance. Here we introduce a strategy to overcome this tradeoff by constructing OLEDs on a substrate with sub-mm, high aspect ratio surface texture. By creating more active OLED area per unit lighting panel area, the device current density required to generate a given panel luminance decreases. We validate this approach for fluorescent and phosphorescent OLEDs, demonstrating good thickness uniformity on corrugated substrates with area enhancement factors up to 1.4x using a standard thermal evaporator. Relative to planar controls at the same panel current density, the high aspect ratio devices achieve a 2.7-fold increase in operating lifetime and up to a 40% increase in external light extraction efficiency, indicating that this approach offers a powerful pathway to improve the efficiency and lifetime of OLED lighting. Reliability remains challenging for organic light-emitting diodes used in solid-state lighting. Here, the authors reduce the current density needed for a given brightness by fabricating devices on a high aspect ratio substrate with sub-mm texture, resulting in a 2.7x increase in operating lifetime.

  PublisherDOI

• Multilayer Formation, Interfacial Binding, and Stability of Self-Assembled Molecules in Perovskite Solar Cells

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2025-12-16 · 4 citations

  article

  Carbazole-based self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have played a key role in advancing the efficiency and stability of inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, weakly bound SAM molecules can be removed by polar solvents used in perovskite deposition. The loss of SAM molecules, especially those bound to the transparent conductive oxide substrate, disrupts interfacial energetics and accelerates PSC degradation. Quantifying initial SAM coverage and tracking its loss during fabrication are therefore critical yet experimentally challenging. Here, we develop a computational–experimental approach combining density functional theory with multimodal surface characterization, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, to selectively remove and quantify SAM molecules in distinct adsorption modes, enabling reconstruction of their initial structure and evolution during processing. We reveal that SAMs, although commonly treated as single molecular layers, comprise multiple layers. Furthermore, SAMs undergo major restructuring upon exposure to N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), a common perovskite precursor solvent, which removes all upper layers and nearly half of the first-layer molecules. To mitigate these losses, we implemented a redeposition strategy introducing new SAM molecules onto the DMF-washed SAM. Redeposition resulted in 13–21% more molecules retained after a second DMF wash compared to the DMF-washed SAM without redeposition. Devices with redeposited SAMs retain 90% of the initial efficiency for 480 h under 85 °C and 50% relative humidity─a 5-fold improvement in operational stability compared to unwashed samples. More broadly, this work establishes a first-layer-sensitive, quantitative method to track SAM evolution during fabrication and offers a simple, generalizable route to durable interfaces in PSCs.

  PublisherDOI

• Molecular Nanosolids Generation by Vapor Jet Desublimation

  Advanced Materials · 2025-09-11

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Critical phenomena in nature (e.g., albedo, precipitation, pollination, etc.) depend on formation and transport of nanomaterials in the gas phase, as do many industrial processes. Yet controlling and predicting particle formation and growth in the gas phase, particularly involving small organic molecules, remains challenging. Here, controlled formation of nanoparticles composed of small molecular organic materials is achieved using a nitrogen-propelled vapor jet. The entire process is modeled in detail using multiphysics simulation, linking materials' thermophysical properties to processing conditions, and the model is experimentally validated. This combined experimental and modeling approach presented here for controllably generating pure, molecular organic nanoparticles has broad applications in pharmaceutical, flavoring, dyeing, and electronics.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Identifying Internal and External Shoulder Rotation Using a Kirigami-Based Shoulder Patch

  medRxiv · 2024-02-02

  preprintOpen access

  ABSTRACT Internal and external rotation of the shoulder is often challenging to quantify in the clinic. The current study evaluates a novel, engineered, wearable sensor system for improved internal and external shoulder rotation monitoring, and applies it in healthy individuals. Using the design principles of the Japanese art of kirigami (folding and cutting of paper to design 3D shapes), the sensor platform conforms to the shape of the shoulder with on-board strain gauges to measure movement. Our objective was to examine how well this kirigami -inspired shoulder patch could identify differences in shoulder kinematics between internal and external rotation as healthy individuals moved their humerus through specified movement patterns. Seventeen participants donned the wearable sensor on their right shoulder. Four strain gauges measured skin deformation patterns while participants moved their arm into internal or external rotation based on Codman’s paradox. One-dimensional statistical parametric mapping explored differences in strain voltage change of the strain gauges between internally-directed and externally-directed movements. The kirigami shoulder sensor, with its four on-board strain gauges, detected distinct differences in the movement pattern of participants who performed prescribed movements that resulted in either internal or external shoulder rotation. Three of the four strain gauges detected significant temporal differences between internal and external rotation (all p <0.047), particularly for the strain gauges placed distal or posterior to the acromion. These results are clinically significant, as they suggest a new class of wearable sensors conforming to the shoulder can measure differences in skin surface deformation corresponding to the underlying humerus rotation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Identifying internal and external shoulder rotation using a kirigami-based shoulder patch

  Wearable Technologies · 2024-01-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Internal and external rotation of the shoulder is often challenging to quantify in the clinic. Existing technologies, such as motion capture, can be expensive or require significant time to setup, collect data, and process and analyze the data. Other methods may rely on surveys or analog tools, which are subject to interpretation. The current study evaluates a novel, engineered, wearable sensor system for improved internal and external shoulder rotation monitoring, and applies it in healthy individuals. Using the design principles of the Japanese art of kirigami (folding and cutting of paper to design 3D shapes), the sensor platform conforms to the shape of the shoulder with four on-board strain gauges to measure movement. Our objective was to examine how well this kirigami -inspired shoulder patch could identify differences in shoulder kinematics between internal and external rotation as individuals moved their humerus through movement patterns defined by Codman’s paradox. Seventeen participants donned the sensor while the strain gauges measured skin deformation patterns during the participants’ movement. One-dimensional statistical parametric mapping explored differences in strain voltage between the rotations. The sensor detected distinct differences between the internal and external shoulder rotation movements. Three of the four strain gauges detected significant temporal differences between internal and external rotation (all p < .047), particularly for the strain gauges placed distal or posterior to the acromion. These results are clinically significant, as they suggest a new class of wearable sensors conforming to the shoulder can measure differences in skin surface deformation corresponding to the underlying humerus rotation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• High aspect ratio substrate OLEDs for lighting

  2024-03-11

  article

  In recent years, increasing attention has been devoted to OLEDs as a promising technology for general lighting. This application requires high brightness and thus higher drive current density than displays, reducing efficiency and lifetime to levels unsuitable for general illumination. To address this limitation, we are developing OLEDs deposited on corrugated substrates that increase the effective device area within the same module size, lowering the local current density at the same level of brightness. This talk discusses the fabrication approach to making devices on non-planar substrates, and the relationship between surface topography and OLED performance.

  PublisherDOI

• Magnetoactive, Kirigami-Inspired Hammocks to Probe Lung Epithelial Cell Function

  Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering · 2024-07-08 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Introduction: Mechanical forces provide critical biological signals to cells. Within the distal lung, tensile forces act across the basement membrane and epithelial cells atop. Stretching devices have supported studies of mechanical forces in distal lung epithelium to gain mechanistic insights into pulmonary diseases. However, the integration of curvature into devices applying mechanical forces onto lung epithelial cell monolayers has remained challenging. To address this, we developed a hammock-shaped platform that offers desired curvature and mechanical forces to lung epithelial monolayers. Methods: We developed hammocks using polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-based membranes and magnetic-particle modified silicone elastomer films within a 48-well plate that mimic the alveolar curvature and tensile forces during breathing. These hammocks were engineered and characterized for mechanical and cell-adhesive properties to facilitate cell culture. Using human small airway epithelial cells (SAECs), we measured monolayer formation and mechanosensing using F-Actin staining and immunofluorescence for cytokeratin to visualize intermediate filaments. Results: We demonstrate a multi-functional design that facilitates a range of curvatures along with the incorporation of magnetic elements for dynamic actuation to induce mechanical forces. Using this system, we then showed that SAECs remain viable, proliferate, and form an epithelial cell monolayer across the entire hammock. By further applying mechanical stimulation via magnetic actuation, we observed an increase in proliferation and strengthening of the cytoskeleton, suggesting an increase in mechanosensing. Conclusion: This hammock strategy provides an easily accessible and tunable cell culture platform for mimicking distal lung mechanical forces in vitro. We anticipate the promise of this culture platform for mechanistic studies, multi-modal stimulation, and drug or small molecule testing, extendable to other cell types and organ systems. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12195-024-00808-z.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Cross-cutting: Kirigami art and devices

  Device · 2024-07-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Fiber and Fabric‐Integrated Tracing Technologies for Textile Sorting and Recycling

  2024-01-26 · 4 citations

  other

  Over 85% of textiles currently end up in landfills, despite a recent study indicating 74% of low-value, post-consumer textiles, nearly 500,000 tons per year in Europe alone, are readily available for fiber-to-fiber recycling. A key challenge in implementing fiber-to-fiber recycling is feedstock ambiguity; even advanced near infrared sorting systems face significant challenges in differentiating blended fiber fabrics at scale. Furthermore, an increasing emphasis on ethical fiber sourcing and the assurance that fabrics and garments are made with fair labor practices requires enhanced methods of tracing and validation. In the textile and apparel industry, product life cycle management is hampered in part by inaccurate, poorly readable, and detachable standard care labels. Integration of easily readable, cost-effective, and fully recyclable tracing technologies directly into the fiber or fabric could address multiple concurrent challenges across the entire textile supply chain currently inhibiting a transition to a functioning circular economy. In this manuscript, a critical systems-level analysis of the tracing and sorting challenges facing all textile life cycle stages (fiber/yarn/fabric/garment manufacturing, brand/retailer, consumer, sorting, and recycling) provides the foundation for comparing the techno-economic feasibility of emerging technologies that have been proposed for direct fiber, fabric, and garment tracing and sorting. This includes the current standard care label, quick response (QR) codes, and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags as well as emerging direct fiber marking techniques such as those using DNA, organic molecules, or rare earth fluorescent nanoparticles. These emerging fiber marking techniques are also compared to a recently developed fiber-based "barcode" that uses all-polymer photonic structures that can be manufactured at scale and with low-cost while remaining compatible with textile manufacturing processes and being made of recyclable materials. Finally, recommendations are provided for focusing the future technological development of integrated tracing methods as well as promoting cooperation across the textile industry and regulatory bodies.

  PublisherDOI

• Polymeric Photonic Crystal Fibers for Textile Tracing and Sorting

  Advanced Materials Technologies · 2023-02-06 · 10 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract Circular supply chains require more accurate product labeling and traceability. In the apparel industry, product life cycle management is hampered in part by inaccurate, poorly readable, and detachable standard care labels. Instead, this article seeks to enable a labeling system capable of being integrated into the fabric itself, intrinsically recyclable, low‐cost, encodes information, and allows rapid readout after years of normal use. In this work, all‐polymer photonic crystals are designed and then fabricated by thermal drawing with >100 layers having sub‐micrometer individual thickness and low refractive index contrast (Δ n = 0.1). The fibers exhibit reflectance features in the 1–5.5 µm wavelength range, characterized using insitu Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Drawn photonic fibers are then woven into fabrics, characterized by near‐infrared spectroscopy and short‐wave infrared imaging, techniques commonly used in industrial facilities for sorting materials. The fibers’ optical design also enables the use of overtone peaks to avoid overlap with parasitic molecular absorption, substantially improving the signal‐to‐noise ratio (and therefore ease and speed) of readout. The ability to produce kilometers of fiber that are compatible with existing textile manufacturing processes, coupled with low input material cost, make these a potential market‐viable improvement over the standard care label.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Scanning nano-OLED Probe

  NSF · $240k · 2005–2008

• IMR: Development of an Atmospheric Vapor Jet Deposition Apparatus for Organic Optoelectronic Materials Research and Education

  NSF · $250k · 2008–2012

• EFRI DCheM: Distributed Manufacturing of Personalized Medicines

  NSF · $2.4M · 2021–2025

• EFRI-ODISSEI: Multi-scale Origami for Novel Photonics, Energy Conversion

  NSF · $2.4M · 2012–2021

Frequent coauthors

• Kevin P. Pipe

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  40 shared

• Stephen R. Forrest

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  19 shared

• John Kieffer

  18 shared

• Yiying Zhao

  Shanghai Electric (China)

  14 shared

• Matthew E. Sykes

  Argonne National Laboratory

  14 shared

• Nicholas A. Kotov

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  13 shared

• Brendan O’Connor

  12 shared

• Peter F. Green

  Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  11 shared

Education

• PhD, Chemical Engineering

  Princeton University

  2004

• BS, Chemical Engineering

  UC Berkeley College of Chemistry

  1998

Awards & honors

• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers…
• John R. and Beverly S. Holt Award for Excellence in Teaching…
• Newport Award of Excellence and Leadership in Photonics and…
• Materials Research Society Graduate Student Gold Medal Award…