Professor of Chemical Engineering
Research Areas
Nanomaterials and Devices
Research Interests
MULTISCALE NANOSTRUCTURES FOR MEMBRANES
Polymeric three-dimensional inverse-opal (IO) nanostructures can provide unique structural properties for various applications. In our research , functionalized IO structured membranes are created using several approaches, such as layer-by-layer self-assembly of polyelectrolytes to form polymeric multilayers, integration of mesoporous block copolymers, and incorporation of organic/inorganic materials inside the IO structures. These techniques lead to a development for high performance membranes with excellent permeability, size selective separation capability, and improved catalytic properties, which can be useful for ultra-filtration or chemical sensors and microfluidic applications.
GRAPHENE/INORGANIC/POLYMER HYBRIDS FOR ENERGY MATERIALS
Graphene and nanocarbon materials can exhibit excellent properties in electrical conductivity, mechanical rigidity, and large specific surface area. In our research, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) can be hybridized with various nanomaterials of inorganics and polymers through the decoration of functional groups on its basal plane or the edges. Our group has developed a novel technique for fabricating graphene-based organic/inorganic nanocomposites for high performance photocatalysts for environmental remedy and high capacity electrodes for lithium ion batteries.
MICROFLUIDIC SYNTHESIS OF FUNCTIONAL DROPLETS AND BUBBLES FOR ENERGY APPLICATIONS
Microfluidic synthesis of bubbles or droplets is a powerful toolkit for creating monodisperse and uniform particles with tunable physi-co-chemical properties. In particular, according to the selection of base material for microfluidic synthesis, optical and mechanical characteristics of particles can be elaborately controlled. In our research, we develop a strategy for deterministic texturing or non-spherical transformation of spherical bubbles or droplets using tools of optical or mechanical manipulations. These highly functionalized and structured particles and their assembled structures can be used for next generation optoelectric and energy applications.
Selected Publications
- “Graphene-Based Ultralight Compartmentalized Isotropic Foams with an Extremely Low Thermal Conductivity of 5.75 mW m−1 K−1“, Advanced Functional Materials, 2007392 (2020).
- “Reconstructed Water Oxidation Electrocatalysts: The Impact of Surface Dynamics on Intrinsic Activities”, Advanced Functional Materials, 2008190 (2020).
- “MXene Supported CoxAy Electrocatalysts for Overall Water Splitting: Unveiling the Role of Anions on Intrinsic Activity and Stability”, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 27383-27393 (2019).
- “Structurally Controlled Cellular Architectures for High Performance Ultra-Lightweight Materials”, Advanced Materials, 30, 1803670 (2018).
- “Plesiohedral Cellular Network of Graphene Bubbles for Ultralight, Strong, and Superelastic Materials”, Advanced Materials, 30, 1802997 (2018).
- “High-Precision Temperature-Controllable Metal-coated Polymeric Molds for Programmable, Hierarchical Patterning”, Advanced Functional Materials, 27, 1702993 (2017).
- “Multiscale-Architectured Functional Membranes Utilizing Inverse Opal Structures”, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 5, 17111-17134 (2017).
- “Percolation-Controlled Metal/Polyelectrolyte Complexed Films for All-Solution-Processable Electrical Conductors”, Advanced Functional Materials, 26, 8726-8734 (2016).
- “Microfluidic generation of monodisperse and photo-reconfigurable microshperes for floral iridescence-inspired structural colorization”, Advanced Materials, 28, 5268 (2016).
Professional Experience
박사후 연구원 (MIT, 2004-2007)
방문교수 (UPENN, 2013)