Postdoctoral Researcher Laboratory for Electrode Material Property Department of Materials Science and Engineering Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea Office: +82-54-279-5248 Mobile: +82-10-2052-8446
📌 Postdoctoral Researcher (Ph.D) 📌 E-mail : sangmun0104@postech.ac.kr (Office) / jsmpsa11@gmail.com (Personal) 📌 Link : Google Scholar Scopus
📌 Postdoctoral Researcher Aug. 2022 ~ Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) Department of Materials Science and Engineering 🏆 Sejong Science Fellowship sponsored by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF, Korea government) (2025.03~2030.02, RS-2025-00554594) 🏆 PIURI PostDoc Fellowship sponsored by POSTECH (2022.09~2024.08, *PIURI: POSTECH Initiative for fostering Unicorn of Research & Innovation)
📌 Ph.D Sep. 2019 ~ Aug. 2022 Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) Department of Materials Science and Engineering Advisor : Yong-Tae Kim Thesis : Effects of Metal-Support Interactions on Electrocatalysis for Energy Conversion 🏆 Ph.D. Fellowship sponsored by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF, Korea government) (2021.06~2022.08, Basic Science Research Program for Ph.D candidate, 2021R1A6A3A13039760) GPA : 4.0 / 4.3
📌 M.S Mar. 2016 ~ Aug. 2019 Pusan National University (PNU) Department of Energy System, Mechanical Engineering GPA : 4.38 / 4.5
📌B.S
Mar. 2010 ~ Feb. 2016
Pusan National University (PNU)
School of Mechanical Engineering
GPA : 4.09 / 4.5
📌 Part 1. Highly durable electrocatalysts under repetitive start-up/shut-down (SU/SD) operating conditions
Fuel cells and electrolysis systems contribute substantially to a new hydrogen economy and the decarbonization of energy across our planet, but many challenges still need to be addressed. Of the numerous challenges facing the widespread commercial integration of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and alkaline water electrolyzers (AWEs), the transient stability of the catalyst during repetitive start-up/shut-down (SU/SD) operating conditions is seemingly one of the most daunting to address. In briefly, unintended high voltage during SU/SD can lead to rapid degradation of the catalyst. Although understanding and solutions to the transient stability are very important for enhancing the longevity and performance of both fuel cells and electrolysis systems, there have been few studies that focus on degradation issue during repetitive start-up/shut-down (SU/SD) operating conditions.
My research interest lies in understanding the degradation mechanism of electrocatalysts under repetitive SU/SD operating conditions. Employing electrocatalytic and in-situ analyses for catalyst characterization, I aim to directly observe the catalyst degradation process. Additionally, I am actively finding effective solutions, employing both catalytic and systematic approaches, to overcome these degradation issues. I firmly believe that these findings hold significant potential for enhancing the longevity and performance of both PEMFCs and AWEs.
📌 Part 2. Highly active and stable electrocatalyst based on metal-support interactions
Electrocatalysts for fuel cells and electrolysis systems typically consist of 1) metal catalysts and 2) conductive support materials. Various types of electrocatalysts such as nanoparticles, nanoclusters, single atoms, or single atoms layers, have been introduced, inducing metal-support interactions between catalyst and conductive supports. These interactions have induced the modulation of electronic structure of electrocatalysts, leading to widespread changes in electrocatalytic characteristics, including activity, durability, and selectivity. My research interest lies in elucidating metal-support interactions on electrocatalysts. Utilizing various X-ray techniques, I aim to visualize the change of electronic structure via metal-support interactions and, based on these findings, enhance the electrocatalytic properties, such as activity, durability, and selectivity.
📌 Part 3. Low-cost and highly efficient electrode materials for thermo-electrochemical devices
Low-grade waste heat (T < 170 °C) is ubiquitous across various energy-consuming sectors, including households, workplaces, power plants, industries, cities, nature, and even living bodies. Thermo-electrochemical cells (TECs), based on the electrochemical Seebeck effect, present an attractive method for harvesting low-grade thermal energy, which can directly convert waste heat into electrical energy. However, the commercialization of TECs faces a bottleneck due to high manufacturing cost resulting from noble electrode materials like Pt and nanostructured carbon. My research interest lies in developing low-cost and highly efficient electrodes as alternatives to Pt or nanostructured carbon for TEC applications. By understanding of thermodynamic properties and redox mechanism of solubilized redox centers in electrolytes, I aim to identify the optimized, low-cost, and highly efficient electrodes for the TEC system. I firmly believe that these findings will contribute to overcoming the challenges in commercializing TECs, paving the way for their widespread adoption in the near future.