Research Summary

 

My research interests lie in developing, synthesizing and characterizing target-oriented materials with integrated nanoscale to macroscale functionalities for applications in separation, sensing, and energy conversion/storage systems. I am working on the whole range of nitrogen-rich materials from semiconductor carbon nitrides to semi-metallic transition metal nitrides, but also their composites with conventional materials such as carbon and transition metal oxides. I uniquely focus on molecular cooperative assembly leading to morphology development and anisotropic, collective interactions as an effort to understand Nature's way toward efficient, sustainable systems. My knowledge obtained so far from studies of structure-function relationship in supramolecular structure is targeted at a global challenge regarding energy crisis and environmental sustainability, developing an efficient (photo-)organocatalytic system converting waste CO2 and CH4 to useful fuels, which requires a multidisciplinary approach encompassing material design, separation, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis and process design. For this purpose, I closely work with the Stucky and Moskovits groups at UCSB along with the Mitsubishi Chemical-Center for Advanced Materials (MC-CAM), the Wang group at Fuzhou University in China and the Thomas group at TU Berlin in Germany.

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Education

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Graduate

2003.03-2009.02 Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea

PhD, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Thesis Title: Nanostructured carbon nitrides; Templating strategies for porous structure and their application

Supervisor: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Won Hi Hong

 

Undergraduate

1999.03-2003.02 Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea

B.S. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

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Research Experience

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2024.09.01~present                                  Professor

School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea

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2025.05.14~2027.05.13                             Adjunct Professor

Basic Medical Sciences, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea

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2024.01.01~2024.12.31                            Director of Public Relations, Councilor

The Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers

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2023.09.01~present                                 Director

The Research Institute for Catalysis, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea

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2019.09.01~2024.08.31                           Associate Professor

School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea

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2015.09.01~2019.08.31                           Assistant Professor

School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea

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2014.03.01~2015.06                             Assistant Project Scientist

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Advisor: Prof. Dr. Galen D. Stucky

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2010.07~2014.02.28                              Research Associate

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Advisor: Prof. Dr. Galen D. Stucky

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2010.07~2014.02.28                                 Research Associate

Mitsubishi Chemical-Center for Advanced Materials (MC-CAM), Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) Bldg., University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Advisor: Prof. Dr. Galen D. Stucky, Dr. Makoto Ue, Dr. Tomohiro Kawai

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2009.02.01~2010.05.30                          BK21 Researcher

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea

Advisor: Prof. Dr. -Ing. Won Hi Hong

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2007.02.15~2008.02.15                           Visiting Scholar

Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung (MPI-KG),  Department of Colloid Chemistry, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14424 Potsdam, Germany

Advisor: Prof. Dr. Arne Thomas and Prof. Dr. Markus Antonietti

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2003.03.01~2009.01.30                          Research Assistant

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea

Advisor: Prof. Dr. -Ing. Won Hi Hong

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