主持和共同承担了包括国家自然科学基金重大研究计划集成、重点、面上项目和省部级自然科学基金创新团队等各级课题12项。已在JACS；Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.；Chem. Sci.；Chem. Mater.；Chem. Eur. J.以及Coord. Chem. Rev.等国际知名期刊发表学术论文100余篇；其中8篇入选ESI高引频论文，2篇入选ESI高前沿核心文献，SCI正面他引超过3800多次，H因子37。并受邀为德国Wiley-VCH出版集团《Molecular Magnetic Materials》一书撰写撰写《Microporous Magnet》一章；荷兰Elsevier 出版集团《Comprehensive Supramolecular Chemistry II》撰写《Network solids: mixed ligand molecular building blocks》一章。以第一完成人获得省部级自然学科一等奖2次。

主要从事配位分子簇的晶态-固态-溶液态结构信息相关性、时间依赖的组装过程与机理及配位催化串联有机反应机理研究；并基于组装机理指导磁/孔配位簇（聚）合物的定向构筑、结构转换、功能调控与物化性能效应关系研究。

M. Zhang, T. Yang, Z. Wang, X.-F. Ma, Y. Zhang, S. M. Greer, S. A. Stoian, Z.-W. Ouyang, H. Nojiri, M. Kurmoo,* M.-H. Zeng*. Chemical Reaction within a Compact Non-Porous Crystal Containing Molecular Clusters without Lost of Crystallinity. Chem. Sci., 2017, 8, 5356. M.-H. Zeng*, Z. Yin, Z.-H. Liu, H.-B. Xu, Y.-C. Feng, Y.-Q. Hu, L.-X. Chang, Y. Zhang, J. Huang, M. Kurmoo. Assembly of a Highly Stable Luminescent Zn5 Cluster and Application to Bio-Imaging. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2016, 55, 11407. M.-H. Zeng*, Z. Yin, Y. Tan, W. Zhang, Y. He, M. Kurmoo. Nanoporous Cobalt(II) MOF Exhibiting Four Magnetic Ground States and Changes in Gas Sorption upon Post-Synthetic Modification. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2014, 136, 4680. (2005-2015 ESI Highly Cited Paper, 138 Citations） Y. Hu, M.-H. Zeng*, K. Zhang, S. Hu, F. Zhou, M. Kurmoo*. Tracking the Formation of a Polynuclear Co16 Complex and its Elimination and Substitution Reactions by Mass Spectroscopy and Crystallography. J. Am. Chem. Soc.,2013, 135, 7901. (59 Citations） F. Sun, Z. Yin, Q. Wang, D. Sun, M.-H. Zeng*,M. Kurmoo*. A New Metal Organic Framework and its Tandem Post Synthetic Modifications by Thermal Elimination and Subsequent Bromination: Effects on Absorption Properties and Photoluminescence. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2013,52, 4538. (Highlighted in Frontispiece, 63 Citations) Z. Yin, Q. Wang, M.-H. Zeng*. Iodine Release and Recovery, Influence of Polyiodide Anions on Electrical Conductivity and Nonlinear Optical Activity in an Interdigitated and Interpenetrated Bipillared Bilayer Metal-Organic Framework. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 134, 4857. (2005-2015 ESI Highly Cited Paper,Research Front, 211 Citations) M.-H. Zeng*, Q.-X. Wang, Y.-X. Tan, S. Hu, H.-X. Zhao, L.-S. Long, and M. Kurmoo. Rigid Pillars and Double Walls in a Porous Metal-Organic Framework: Single-Crystal to Single-Crystal, Controlled Uptake and Release of Iodine and Electrical Conductivity. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 2561. (2005-2015 ESI Highly Cited Paper, ESI Research Front, 341 Citations) M.-H. Zeng*, M. Yao, H. Liang*, W. Zhang, X.-M. Chen. A single-molecule-magnetic, cubane-based, triangular CO12 supercluster. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2007, 46, 1832. (2005-2015 ESI Highly Cited Paper, 194Citations） M.-H. Zeng, W. Zhang, X. Sun, X.-M. Chen*. Spin canting and metamagnetism in a 3D homometallic molecular material constructed by interpenetration of two kinds of cobalt(II)-coordination-polymer sheets. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.,2005, 44, 3079. (223 Citations）