Kyung-Seok Jin
Korea University · Energy
About the Lab
Professor Kyung-Seok Jin's research lab specializes in the design and development of advanced functional nanomaterials for sustainable energy conversion and storage. The lab focuses on understanding and engineering the electronic and structural properties of transition metal oxides and phosphates to enhance their catalytic performance in key reactions such as water oxidation, oxygen evolution, and electrochemical nitrogen fixation. By integrating in situ spectroscopy, electrokinetic analysis, and computational modeling, the lab aims to uncover fundamental mechanisms governing catalytic activity and stability at the nanoscale. Their work emphasizes the creation of efficient, earth-abundant, and environmentally benign catalysts for green hydrogen production and carbon-neutral energy cycles.
Research Overview
Research Output Trend
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Selected Papers
15The development of efficient and stable water oxidation catalysts is necessary for the realization of practically viable water-splitting systems. Although extensive studies have focused on the metal-oxide catalysts, the effect of metal coordination on the catalytic ability remains still elusive. Here we select four cobalt-based phosphate catalysts with various cobalt- and phosphate-group coordination as a platform to better understand the catalytic activity of cobalt-based materials. Although th
The development of a water oxidation catalyst has been a demanding challenge in realizing water splitting systems. The asymmetric geometry and flexible ligation of the biological Mn4CaO5 cluster are important properties for the function of photosystem II, and these properties can be applied to the design of new inorganic water oxidation catalysts. We identified a new crystal structure, Mn3(PO4)2·3H2O, that precipitates spontaneously in aqueous solution at room temperature and demonstrated its hi
Epoxides are useful intermediates for the manufacture of a diverse set of chemical products. Current routes of olefin epoxidation either involve hazardous reagents or generate stoichiometric side products, leading to challenges in separation and significant waste streams. Here, we demonstrate a sustainable and safe route to epoxidize olefin substrates using water as the oxygen atom source at room temperature and ambient pressure. Manganese oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are shown to catalyze cyclooct
The development of active water oxidation catalysts is critical to achieve high efficiency in overall water splitting. Recently, sub-10 nm-sized monodispersed partially oxidized manganese oxide nanoparticles were shown to exhibit not only superior catalytic performance for oxygen evolution, but also unique electrokinetics, as compared to their bulk counterparts. In the present work, the water-oxidizing mechanism of partially oxidized MnO nanoparticles was investigated using integrated in situ sp
The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is considered a major bottleneck in the overall water electrolysis process. In this work, highly active manganese oxide nano-catalysts were synthesized via hot injection. Facile surface treatment generated Mn(III) species on monodisperse 10 nm MnO nanocrystals (NCs). Size dependency of MnO NCs on OER activity was also investigated. Surprisingly, the partially oxidized MnO NCs only required 530 mV @ 5 mA cm(-2) under near neutral conditions.
Abstract Ammonia, a key feedstock used in various industries, has been considered a sustainable fuel and energy storage option. However, NH 3 production via the conventional Haber–Bosch process is costly, energy‐intensive, and significantly contributing to a massive carbon footprint. An electrochemical synthetic pathway for nitrogen fixation has recently gained considerable attention as NH 3 can be produced through a green process without generating harmful pollutants. This review discusses the
The synergistic effect in multi‐metal electrocatalysts has gained attention as an efficient strategy for enhancing intrinsic electrocatalytic activities. In this study, a facile electrodeposition technique is used to synthesize a multi‐metal high entropy catalyst (HEC) for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen production. To boost the synergistic effect between noble metals and transition metals, the Pt ratio is controlled in a multi‐metal electrocatalyst system. The prepared Pt‐involved HEC (Pt‐H
Abstract Efficient and cost‐effective electrocatalysts that can operate across a wide range of pH conditions are essential for green hydrogen production. Inspired by biological systems, Fe 7 S 8 nanoparticles incorporated on polydopamine matrix electrocatalyst were synthesized by co‐precipitation and annealing process. The resulting Fe 7 S 8 /C electrocatalyst possesses a three‐dimensional structure and exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen production across various pH cond
This review presents the recent progress of oxygen functionalization reactions based on non-electrochemical (conventional organic synthesis) and electrochemical methods. Although both methods have their advantages and limitations, the former approach has been used to synthesize a broader range of organic substances as the latter is limited by several factors, such as poor selectivity and high energy cost. However, because electrochemical methods can replace harmful terminal oxidizers with extern
Epoxides are versatile chemical intermediates that are used in the manufacture of diversified industrial products. For decades, thermochemical conversion has long been employed as the primary synthetic route. However, it has several drawbacks, such as harsh and explosive operating conditions, as well as a significant greenhouse gas emissions problem. In this study, we propose an alternative electrocatalytic epoxidation reaction, using [Co III (TAML)] − (TAML = tetraamido macrocyclic ligand) as a
The modern technical era demands sustainable and green energy production and storage methods that overcome the limitations of conventional fuel resources. Electrochemical energy storage (ECS) technologies are widely anticipated to store and release energy on repeated cycles for domestic and commercial utilization. Several ECS devices were developed over the years to achieve higher energy density and energy sustainability. Zn-air batteries are developed to deliver higher energy density and their
Pulsed electrolysis has emerged as a promising approach to CO<sub>2</sub> reduction, offering a simple method to adjust product selectivity and enhance operational stability. However, conceptually applying the dynamic pulse operation process on a large scale highlights its differences when compared to conventional electrolysis processes, impacting the economic feasibility of the process. We discuss the influence of pulsed electrolysis on surface reaction mechanisms and the simulation of changes
Reductive amination has been widely used for manufacturing carbon-nitrogen-containing building blocks. Despite its versatility, the need for a chemical reductant or harmful hydrogen gas has limited its further utilization in modern chemical applications. Here, we report electrochemical reductive amination (ERA) to pursue sustainable synthetic routes. Faradaic efficiencies of about 83% are achieved using Cu metal electrodes. In-depth electrokinetic studies reveal the rate-determining step and ove
Research Areas
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