Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology · Engineering
Professor Jang Wook Choi's research lab specializes in advanced materials and electrolyte engineering for next-generation batteries, with a strong focus on lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries. The lab develops innovative solutions such as polydopamine-functionalized separators, silicon-based anodes with graphene encapsulation, and novel fluorinated ether electrolytes to enhance energy density, cycle life, and safety. Key research directions include interface engineering, dendrite suppression, and designing multifunctional materials that simultaneously improve ionic conductivity, mechanical stability, and electrochemical performance. The lab bridges fundamental materials science with practical battery applications, targeting scalable and commercially viable energy storage technologies.
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Polydopamine-treated polyethylene (PE) separators for high-power lithium ion batteries are developed. A simple dipping process makes the PE surfaces hydrophilic and thus enhances the power capabilities remarkably compared to those of the control cases with bare PE separators. The original mechanical and thermal properties of the PE separators are preserved. Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as ”Supporting Information”. Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy
Despite the prevalence of lithium ion batteries in modern technology, the search for alternative electrochemical systems to complement the global battery portfolio is an ongoing effort. The search has resulted in numerous candidates, among which mildly acidic aqueous zinc ion batteries have recently garnered significant academic interest, mostly due to their inherent safety. As the anode is often fixed as zinc metal in these systems, most studies address the absence of a suitable cathode for rea
Silicon is receiving discernable attention as an active material for next generation lithium-ion battery anodes because of its unparalleled gravimetric capacity. However, the large volume change of silicon over charge-discharge cycles weakens its competitiveness in the volumetric energy density and cycle life. Here we report direct graphene growth over silicon nanoparticles without silicon carbide formation. The graphene layers anchored onto the silicon surface accommodate the volume expansion o
An excellent cycle life (150 cycles with 80% retention) for lithium-metal anodes in lithium-ion batteries is achieved by employing mussel-inspired polydopamine-treated-polyethylene separators. This originates from the polydopamine coating, which enables a uniform ionic flux, as well as mussel-inspired catecholic adhesion of the separators onto the lithium surfaces. Additionally, the polydopamine coating improves the thermal-shrinkage properties of polyethylene separators.
The development of new solvents is imperative in lithium metal batteries due to the incompatibility of conventional carbonate and narrow electrochemical windows of ether-based electrolytes. Whereas the fluorinated ethers showed improved electrochemical stabilities, they can hardly solvate lithium ions. Thus, the challenge in electrolyte chemistry is to combine the high voltage stability of fluorinated ethers with high lithium ion solvation ability of ethers in a single molecule. Herein, we repor
Lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) are representative of post-lithium-ion batteries with the great promise of increasing the energy density drastically by utilizing the low operating voltage and high specific capacity of metallic lithium. LMBs currently stand at a point of transition at which the accumulation of knowledge from fundamental research is being translated into large-scale commercialization. This review summarizes the available strategies for addressing the intrinsic shortcomings of LMBs,
A family of deep eutectic solvents with high gravimetric capacities is reported for CO<sub>2</sub> capture.
Fluorination of ether solvents is an effective strategy to improve the electrochemical stability of non-aqueous electrolyte solutions in lithium metal batteries. However, excessive fluorination detrimentally impacts the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte, thus limiting the battery performance. Here, to maximize the electrolyte ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability, we introduce the targeted trifluoromethylation of 1,2-dimethoxyethane to produce 1,1,1-trifluoro-2,3-dimethoxypropane
We report that established simple lithium (Li) ion battery cycles can be used to produce nanopores inside various useful one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures such as zinc oxide, silicon, and silver nanowires. Moreover, porosities of these 1D nanomaterials can be controlled in a stepwise manner by the number of Li-battery cycles. Subsequent pore characterization at the end of each cycle allows us to obtain detailed snapshots of the distinct pore evolution properties in each material due to their d
The battery community has recently witnessed a considerable progress in the cycle lives of lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries, mostly by developing the electrode structures that mitigate fatal dissolution of lithium polysulfides. Nonetheless, most of the previous successful demonstrations have been based on limited areal capacities. For realistic battery applications, however, the chronic issues from both the anode (lithium dendrite growth) and the cathode (lithium polysulfide dissolution) need to
We report on the kinetics and ground-state thermodynamics associated with electrochemically driven molecular mechanical switching of three bistable [2]rotaxanes in acetonitrile solution, polymer electrolyte gels, and molecular-switch tunnel junctions (MSTJs). For all rotaxanes a pi-electron-deficient cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) (CBPQT4+) ring component encircles one of two recognition sites within a dumbbell component. Two rotaxanes (RATTF4+ and RTTF4+) contain tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and 1,
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