Gwan-Su Yi
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology · Engineering
About the Lab
Professor Gwan-Su Yi's research lab specializes in the development of advanced functional polymers and composite materials for sustainable energy and environmental applications. Key research directions include the design and synthesis of sulfonated and fluorinated poly(arylene ether)s with tailored ion-conducting and thermal properties for use in fuel cells and proton exchange membranes. The lab also focuses on biodegradable polymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) to address environmental challenges, as well as the integration of nanomaterials like carbon nanofibers and ethynyl-terminated polymers for enhanced mechanical and thermal performance. The work emphasizes structure-property relationships, cross-linking strategies, and performance optimization for next-generation energy and materials technologies.
Research Overview
Research Output Trend
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Selected Papers
15End-group cross-linkable sulfonated poly(arylene ether) polymer (E-SFQK) was synthesized via direct polymerization of potassium 2,5-dihydroxybenzenesulfonate (SHQ) and decafluorobiphenyl (DFBP), followed by a reaction with ethynylphenol (EP). The cross-linking reaction of the ethynyl end group of E-SFQK was performed at 250 °C. After cross-linking, proton conductivity, water uptake, and swelling ratio of cross-linked membrane decreased from 0.16 (noncross-linked membrane) to 0.13 S/cm, from 86%
High performance of SnP<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub>-based intermediate temperature fuel cells was obtained with a quaternary ammonium-biphosphate ion-pair coordinated polymer electrolyte.
Due to increased environmental pressures, significant research has focused on finding suitable biodegradable plastics to replace ubiquitous petrochemical-derived polymers. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a class of polymers that can be synthesized by microorganisms and are biodegradable, making them suitable candidates. The present study looks at the degradation properties of two PHA polymers: polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polyhydroxybutyrate-co-polyhydroxyvalerate (PHBV; 8 wt.% valerate), in t
Ethynyl-terminated fluorinated poly(arylene ether sulfide) (E-FPAESI) was synthesized via nucleophilic aromatic substitution from dihydroxy monomer and pentafluorophenyl sulfide, followed by the reaction with 3-ethynylphenol. Dihydroxy monomer was synthesized in four steps via bromination, Grignard, Suzuki cross-coupling, and demethylation techniques. The number-average molecular weights and polydispersities of the E-FPAESI were in the ranges of 7700−23 000 and 1.53−2.89, respectively. The glass
In order to meet the needs of constantly advancing technologies, fabricating materials with improved properties and predictable behavior has become vital. To that end, we have prepared polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer samples filled with carbon nanofibers (CFs) at 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 CF loadings (w/w) to investigate and optimize the amount of filler needed for fabrication with improved mechanical properties. Samples were prepared using easy, cost-efficient mechanical mixing to combine t
New series of ethynyl-terminated sulfonated-fluorinated poly(arylene ether)s (ESF-6Fs) were synthesized via nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction (SNAr) from potassium 2,5-dihydroxybenzenesulfonate (SHQ), 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphenol (6FBPA), and decafluorobiphenyl (DFBP), followed by the reaction with 3-ethynylphenol. The cross-linked ESF-6F membranes exhibited high glass-transition temperatures in the range of 258−276 °C and good thermal degradation temperatures in the range o
The cross-linkable copolymers (SHQ x -TFV y s) with varying degrees of sulfonation (DS) from 70 to 95% were prepared from potassium-2,5-dihydroxybenzenesulfonate (SHQ), decafluorobiphenyl (DFBP), and 4-(trifluorovinyloxy)-biphenyl-2,5-diol (TFVOH) as a cross-linkable moiety. To develop a highly stable polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) for application in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC)s, cross-linked membranes were prepared by chemical cross-linking. The cross-linked membranes were synthes
Cellular silicone reinforced with silica filler prepared using additive manufacturing (AM) have been used widely for vibrational damping and shockwave mitigation. The two most commonly printed cellular silicone structures, simple cubic (SC) and face-centered tetragonal (FCT) display distinctly different static and dynamic mechanical responses dependent upon structure. In this work, the relationship between filler size and composition with mechanical response is investigated using polydimethylsil
ABSTRACT The curing time, surface adhesion, and water absorption characteristics of Sylgard 184 were modified through the addition of catalysts and fillers. Incorporation of small amounts of a platinum‐based Karstedt catalyst greatly decreased curing time at room temperature, whereas the addition of talcum powder (talc), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and NaY zeolite fillers changed surface adhesion and functionality of Sylgard 184. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), rheological a
Abstract A novel and efficient method for the conversion of carboxylic acids to primary amides using N,N′-carbonyldiimidazole in combination with ammonium acetate/triethyl amine system in [BMIM]BF4 is developed.
Research Areas
Dive deeper into Gwan-Su Yi's research on Nubint
Open this lab's papers in the app to read with AI, summarize, and cite in your writing.