Associate Professor

Research Interests

Green Energy Material and Process Lab. (GEMP) at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) explores the use of supercritical fluids for developing green chemistry, green engineering, and clean technology to find chemistry and engineering solutions of the current issues on global warming, fossil fuel depletion, and chemical wastes. In addition to the energy and environmental aspects, GEMP explores novel chemical and engineering routes to develop functional nanostructured materials with high performance for use in a variety of fields. Our current research area includes nanoscale energy conversion & storage materials, biomass conversion to green fuels and chemicals, CO2 conversion to value-added fuels and chemicals, and efficient separation for recovering materials for cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications.

Nanoscale Energy Materials
Current issues on global warming and crude oil depletion, mainly caused by fossil fuel-based transportations, have led to urgent need to develop a new electrode material in lithium ion batteries (LIBs) for large-scale applications including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS). Lithium cobalt oxide and graphite, which are commercially used as active materials for portable electronic devices, often fail to meet the demand of the large-scale applications due to their low theoretical capacity and poor high-rate performance. GEMP@SKKU develops novel nanostructured energy storage materials for next-generation battery applications

Green Fuels & Chemicals
Extensive efforts are being made to develop renewable and sustainable energy sources, and cost-effective energy processes, due to concerns regarding global warming and fossil fuel depletion. Biomass is considered as one of the most promising renewable energy resources as it is carbon neutral and abundant. GEMP@SKKU focuses on developing new green chemical process and multifunctional catalysts to produce clean and renewable biogasoline, biodjetful and biodiesel. In addition, GEMP@SKKU develops efficient catalyst and catalytic process for the CO2 conversion to sustainable fuels and value added chemicals.

Supercritical Fluid Process
Supercritical fluids can offer environmentally benign and facile synthetic conditions for the production of nanomaterials and for developing various chemical processes owing to their unique physical properties, including low viscosity, fast diffusion, zero surface tension, and tunable physical properties. We explore various supercritical fluid-based processes for nanomaterial synthesis, clean fuel production, biomass gasification and liquefaction, hydrogen production, biofuels, biochemicals, and recovery of fine chemicals for cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications.

Selected Publications

1. D. Yoon, J. Hwang, W. Chang, J. Kim*, “Carbon with expanded and well-developed graphene planes derived directly from condensed lignin as a high-performance anode for sodium-ion batteries”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2018, 10, 569−581

2. R. Insyani, D. Verma, S. M. Kim, J. Kim* “Direct One-pot Conversion of Monosaccharides into High-yield 2,5-Dimethylfuran over a Multifunctional Pd/Zr-Based Metal−Organic Framework@Sulfonated Graphene Oxide Catalyst”, Green Chemistry, 2017, 19, 2842-2490

3. D. Verma, R. Insyani, Y.-W. Suh, S. K. Kim, J. Kim*, “Direct conversion of Cellulose to High-Yield Methyl Lactate over Ga-doped Zn on H-Nanozeolite Y Catalysts in Supercritical Methanol” Green Chemistry, 2017, 19, 1969-1982

4. J. Hwang, K. C. Kong, W. Chang, E. Cho, K. Nam, J. Kim*, “New Liquid Carbon Dioxide Based Strategy for High Energy/Power Density LiFePO4”, Nano Energy, 2017, 36, 398-410

5. D. Yoon, D. H. Kim, W. Chang, K. Y. Chung, S. M. Kim, J. Kim* “Hydrogen-enriched porous carbon nanosheets with high sodium storage capacity” Carbon, 2016, 98, 213-220

6. H. Prajitno, R. Insyani, J. Park, C. Ryu, J. Kim*, “Non-catalytic upgrading of fast pyrolysis bio-oil in supercritical ethanol and combustion behavior of the upgraded oil” Applied Energy, 2016, 172, 12-22

7. D. Yoon, K. Y. Chung, W. Chang, S. M. Kim, M. J. Lee, Z. Lee, J. Kim*, “Hydrogen-enriched reduced graphene oxide with enhanced electrochemical performance in lithium ion batteries”, Chemistry of Materials, 2015, 27, 266-275

8. S. K. Kim, D. H. Yoon, S.-C. Lee, J. Kim*, “Mo2C/Graphene Nanocomposite As a Hydrodeoxygenation Catalyst for the Production of Diesel Range Hydrocarbons” ACS Catalysis, 2015, 5, 3292-3303

9. S. K. Kim, J. Y. Han, H.-S. Lee, T. Yum, Y. Kim, J. Kim*, “Production of renewable diesel via catalytic deoxygenation of natural triglycerides: Comprehensive understanding of reaction intermediates and hydrocarbons”, Applied Energy, 2014, 116, 199-205

10. S. K. Kim, H.-S. Lee, M. H. Hong, J. S. Lim, J. Kim*, “Low‐temperature, Selective Catalytic Deoxygenation of Vegetable Oil in Supercritical Fluid Media”, ChemSusChem, 2014, 7, 492-500

Professional Experience

한국과학기술연구원 선임연구원 (2007-2013)
U.S. Army Research Office, National Research Council Research Associate, USA (2005-2007)