Laboratory Introduction

Porous materials have been widely used in chemical processes, including catalysis, storage, and separation processes, and the improvement of their physicochemical properties is one of the most important fields of research in chemical engineering. We aim to understand the molecular interactions between the precursors during the materials synthesis/fabrication and between the host/guest chemical species during the operation of chemical processes. Eventually, these fundamental understanding guides us to develop novel functional porous materials with desired properties and/or novel fabrication/synthesis processes for those materials, which enhance process or device performances. Our efforts to address challenges in various fields include a direct synthesis of zeolite nanosheets (high aspect ratio crystals), the fabrication of highly-selective molecular sieve membranes, and development of cost-effect electrochemical catalysts. Current available projects are 1) 2D zeolite materials for a novel separation processes of linear/branched hydrocarbons and 2) the control of zeolite crystal growth for catalyst re-manufacturing. We look for a well-motivated post-doctoral researcher who will lead those projects. Send an e-mail to donghun99@jnu.ac.kr for more information.

Research Areas

• Synthesis and surface functionalization of porous inorganic materials
• Control of crystal growth and morphology
• Molecular sieve membranes
• Electrocatalysts

Research Activities

• The first direct synthesis method of zeolite nanosheets
  "Ultra-selective high-flux membranes from directly synthesized zeolite nanosheets," Nature (2017).
• Fabrication of highly selective zeolite MFI membranes
  "Para-xylene ultra-selective zeolite MFI membranes fabricated from nanosheet monolayers at the air-water interface," Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2018), featured on the front cover.
• Non-precious-metal oxygen reduction electrocatlaysts “Highly graphitic mesoporous Fe,N-doped carbon materials for oxygen reduction electrochemical catalysts,” ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, (2018)
• Synthesis of zeolite MFI nanosheet with improved flatnes "Twin-free, directly synthesized MFI nanosheets with improved thickness uniformity and their use in membrane fabrication", Sci. Adv. (2022)