Latest Research News
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The commercialization of CO2 utilization technology to produce formic acid is imminent.
New article- Development of a CCU process for formic acid production with both economic and environmental viability - Expected to expedite the commercialization of CCU through the world's largest-scale demonstration CCU (Carbon Capture & Utilization), which captures CO2 and converts it into useful compounds, is crucial for rapidly transitioning to a carbon-neutral society. While CCS (Carbon Capture & Storage), which only involves CO2 storage, has entered the initial commercialization stage due to its relatively simple process and low operational costs, CCU has only been explored at the research level due to the complexity of conversion processes and high production costs of compounds. Dr. Lee Ung's team at the Clean Energy Research Center of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, Director Oh Sang Rok) announced the development of a novel CCU process that converts CO2 into formic acid. Formic acid, an organic acid, is a high-value compound used in various industries such as leather, food, and pharmaceuticals. Currently formic acid retains a large market consuming around one million tons annually, which is expected to grow in the future owing to its potential use as a hydrogen carrier. Moreover, it has a higher production efficiency compared to other CCU-based chemicals, as it can be produced from a single CO2 molecule. The research team selected 1-methylpyrrolidine, which exhibited the highest CO2 conversion rate among various amines mediating formic acid production reactions, and optimized the operating temperature and pressure of the reactor containing a ruthenium (Ru)-based catalyst, thereby increasing the CO2 conversion rate to over twice the current level of 38%. Furthermore, to address the excessive energy consumption and formic acid decomposition issues during CO2 separation from air or exhaust gases and formic acid purification, the team developed a simultaneous capture-conversion process that directly converts CO2 captured within the amine without separating it. As a result, they significantly reduced the formic acid production cost from around $790 per ton to $490 per ton while mitigating CO2 emissions, compared to conventional formic acid production. To evaluate the commercialization potential of the developed formic acid production process, the research team constructed the world's largest pilot plant capable of producing 10 kg of formic acid per day. Previous CCU studies were conducted on a small scale in laboratories and did not consider the product purification process required for large-scale production. However, the research team developed processes and materials to minimize corrosion and formic acid decomposition, and optimized operating conditions that led to successful production of formic acid with a purity exceeding 92%. The team plans to complete a 100 kg per day pilot plant by 2025 and conduct process verification, aiming for commercialization by 2030. Success in process verification with the 100 kg pilot plant is expected to enable transportation and sales to demand companies. Dr. Lee Ung stated, "Through this research, we have confirmed the commercialization potential of our process that converts CO2 to formic acid, which is a huge breakthrough considering that most CCU technologies are being conducted at lab-scale." He further expressed his intention to contribute to achieving the country's carbon neutrality goal by accelerating the commercialization of CCU. . [Figure 1] Process for Formic Acid Production via Carbon Dioxide Conversion Flowchart of the process (above) for producing formic acid through the conversion of newly developed carbon dioxide (CO2) using Carbon Capture & Utilization (CCU) technology, and pilot-scale process verification data (below). [Figure 2] Pilot-Scale Demonstration Process Producing 10kg of Formic Acid per Day A depiction of the pilot-scale demonstration process in operation. It consists of a reaction section, separation section, recycling, and vacuum systems, enabling stable continuous operation and enhancing commercialization potential. ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-Ho) as part of KIST's major projects and the Carbon-to-X project (2020M3H7A1098271). The research results were published in the latest issue of the international journal "Joule" (IF 39.8, JCR top 0.9%).
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- WriterDr. Kim Changsoo & Dr. Lee Ung
- 작성일2024.05.07
- Views61
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Smart labs for bespoke synthesis of nanomaterials are emerging
New article- Smart labs powered by AI robots are 500x more efficient in material development than simple automation - Expect a new R&D paradigm to address the aging research workforce In the early 20th century, the development of a catalyst for ammonia synthesis by the Haber-Bosch method took more than 10,000 experiments before it was successful. The development of new materials is a time-consuming and costly process from design to commercialization. However, in recent years, researchers have been working to shorten the development period by using artificial intelligence (AI). When combined with robots, it is possible to conduct material development research 24 hours a day, 365 days a year without human intervention. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that Dr. Sang Soo, Han and Dr. Donghun, Kim of the Computational Science Research Center and Professor Kwan-Young Lee of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at Korea University (President Kim Dong-won) have developed a bespoke synthesis platform of nanomaterials using AI and robotics, called Smart Lab. The KIST-Korea University joint research team first developed an automated device that synthesizes nanoparticles based on a robotic arm and measures the optical properties of the synthesized nanoparticles. By combining AI technology with this, a smart laboratory for bespoke synthesis of nanomaterials was developed, with which researchers can readily synthesize nanomaterials that meet their requirements just by inputting the desired material properties. The AI technology applied to the Smart Lab platform combines a Bayesian optimization method with the early stopping technology to increase the efficiency for material discovery by more than 500 times compared to simple automated devices. Human experiments are often difficult to obtain reproducible results because the results are very sensitively dependent on the research environment and the proficiency of researchers; however, the developed smart lab has the advantage of producing consistent, high-quality data in large quantities. The researchers also developed an AI technology to ensure the safety of smart labs. Although there is no risk of injury to researchers in unmanned smart labs, it is difficult to prevent safety accidents such as malfunctions due to robot overload. The researchers developed an AI vision technology (DenseSSD) to detect and prevent such safety accidents in advance and installed it in the smart lab. DenseSSD detects various objects in the lab, including research equipment and materials, and notifies users of any abnormalities so that they can take appropriate measures. "The smart lab platform, which enables material development without human intervention, will be a new R&D paradigm that can solve the problem of declining research manpower due to aging," said Dr. Sang Soo, Han of KIST. "In the future, we plan to incorporate interactive language models such as ChatGPT to make it easier for non-experts to use the smart lab," said Dr. Donghun, Kim. The research team plans to expand the Smart Lab platform to various material fields such as catalysts, batteries, and displays. [Figure 1] KIST Computational Science Research Center Smart Lab development staff photo [Figure 2] Conceptualization of a closed-loop experimentation phase with AI robots [Figure 3] Illustration of quantitative efficiency of AI-powered experimental design versus traditional methodologies ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ The research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho) through the Korea Research Foundation's Nano and Materials Technology Development Project, and the results were published online March 6 and February 22 in the international journals Advanced Functional Materials and npj Computational Materials, respectively.
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- WriterDr. Han Sang Soo
- 작성일2024.05.07
- Views36
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Extracting High-Purity Gold from Electrical and Electronic Waste
- A fibrous adsorbent selectively recovers high-purity gold from waste - Dramatically reduces the cost and time of the recovery process and enables material to be mass-produced and repeatedly recycled Korea relies on imports for most of its metal resources, and in recent years, due to resource depletion and rising raw material prices, 'circular resources' that recycle waste metal resources have emerged. In response, SK hynix has established a mid- to long-term plan to increase the percentage of copper, gold, etc. recovered and reused from waste generated in the semiconductor manufacturing process to more than 30% by 2030, and Samsung Electronics is running a collection program for used mobile phones in cooperation with E-circulation Governance, a non-profit corporation. The global circular economy market is expected to more than double in size from approximately $338 billion in 2022 to approximately $712 billion in 2026. In this context, a team led by Dr. Jae-Woo Choi of the Water Resource Cycle Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that they have developed a technology that can selectively recover high-purity gold from electrical and electronic waste containing various metals using textile materials. Adsorbents for metal recovery are generally granular in shape to increase adsorption efficiency based on high specific surface area, but they are difficult to control underwater, resulting in low recovery rates and even secondary environmental pollution. On the other hand, fiber-like materials are easy to control underwater and can be made into various shapes through the weaving process, so they have high potential for industrial application. However, due to their thin thickness and low strength, they are easily broken when gold recovery is applied to the support. KIST researchers have chemically immobilized alkaline molecules on the surface of polyacrylonitrile (PANF) fibers to improve both molecular gold recovery performance and structural stability. The amine-containing polymer fiber has a dramatically larger surface area, which can improve the adsorption performance of gold ions (Au) in waste by up to 2.5 times (from 576 mg/g to 1,462 mg/g) compared to the team's previously developed granular gold adsorption material. The developed fibrous adsorbent not only showed a gold recovery efficiency of more than 99.9% in solutions obtained by leaching real CPUs, but also achieved a gold recovery efficiency close to 100% in a wide range of pH 1-4, which includes most waste liquids. It is particularly noteworthy that only gold ions can be recovered with a high purity of over 99.9%, even in the presence of 14 other metal ions coexisting in the solution. Furthermore, the gold recovery rate was maintained at 91% even after 10 uses, demonstrating excellent reusability. "By enabling efficient and eco-friendly metal resource recovery, the fiber-type adsorbent developed by KIST can reduce Korea's dependence on resource imports and prepare for the risk of rising raw material prices," said Dr. Jae-Woo Choi. "We plan to expand the scope of future research to selectively recover various target metals in addition to gold, said Dr. Youngkyun Jung." [Figure 1] Preparation and physicochemical characteristics of the aminated polyacrylonitrile fibers (PANFs). [Figure 2] Au recovery performance of the ALPF. [Figure 3] Applicability of the ALPF adsorbent for Au recovery processes. ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ The research, which was funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee) through the Leading Materials Innovation Project (2020M3H4A3106366) and the KIST Air Environment Complex Response Research Project (2E33081), was published in the international journal Chemical Engineering Journal.
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- WriterDr. Choi, Jae-Woo
- 작성일2024.04.23
- Views69
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Lightweight and flexible yet strong? Versatile fibers with dramatically improved energy storage capacity
- Development of textile technology for atypical energy storage optimized for wearable devices - No need for additional active substances, mass production by wet spinning process The latest wearable devices, such as Samsung's Galaxy Ring and Apple's Vision Pro, are taking healthcare a step further and even enabling people to work virtually. Given the characteristics of wearable devices that require them to be small and lightweight, there is an inevitable limitation on battery capacity, still presenting a technical barrier to incorporating a variety of functions. In order for wearable devices to fully realize the imagined life, it is necessary to develop a lighter and more fromlessenergy storage method. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that a joint research team led by Dr. Hyeonsu Jeong and Namdong Kim of the Center for Functional Composite Materials, Jeonbuk Branch, and Dr. Seungmin Kim of the Center for Carbon Fusion Materials has developed a fiber-like electrode material that can store energy. The fibers are strong, lightweight, and highly flexible, enabling greater freedom in wearable device form factors and the ability to be made into various shapes and applications. Carbon nanotube fibers are flexible, lightweight, and possess excellent mechanical and electrical properties, making them a promising material for wearable devices. However, due to their small specific surface area and lack of electrochemical activity, previous studies have mainly used them as a current collector and coated their surface with active materials. However, this approach is not only uneconomical due to the high cost of additional materials and processes, but also has a high probability of separation of the active material from the fiber during long-term use or physical deformation. To solve this problem, the KIST research team developed a fibrous electrode material with high energy storage capacity without the need for active materials. The team developed carbon nanotube fibers with both electrochemical activity and excellent physical properties by acid-treating and modifying powder-form carbon nanotubes, followed by spinning them into fibers. The modified carbon nanotube fiber has 33 times more energy storage capacity, 3.3 times more mechanical strength, and more than 1.3 times more electrical conductivity than ordinary carbon nanotube fibers. Moreover, since the energy storage electrode material was developed using only pure carbon nanotube fibers, it can be mass-produced using wet spinning technology. When tested with fiber shaped supercapacitors, they retained nearly 100 percent of their performance when knotted and 95 percent of their performance after 5,000 bending tests. They also performed well when woven into the wrist straps of digital watches using a combination of regular and carbon nanotube fibers, after being bent, folded, and washed. Dr. Kim Seung-min of KIST explained the significance of the study, saying, "We have confirmed that carbon nanotubes, which have recently started to attract attention again as a conductive material for secondary batteries, can be used in a much wider range of fields." "Carbon nanotube fiber is a competitive field because we have the original technology and there is not much of a technology gap with advanced countries," said Dr. Hyeon Su Jeong, a co-researcher, adding, "We will continue our research to apply it as a core material for atypical energy storage." Another co-researcher, Dr. Nam-dong Kim, said, " We are currently conducting research to apply this technology to fiber-type batteries with higher energy density, going beyond supercapacitors. ." [Figure 1] Carbon nanotube fibers for energy storage and wearable properties [Figure 2] Properties and electrochemical activity of functionalized carbon nanotubes [Figure 3] Wearable Supercapacitor Demonstration ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ This research was supported by KIST Major Projects (ORP, K-DARPA), the Regional Leading Research Center Project (2019R1A5A8080326) of the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho), the Core Technology Development Project for Material Parts Industry (20017548) of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister Ahn Duk-geun), and Hyundai Motor Company. The results were published as a front cover article in the international journal Advanced Energy Materials (IF 27.8, JCR 2.8%).
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- WriterDr. Jeong, Hyeonsu
- 작성일2024.04.19
- Views29
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Recycling CFRP waste is a challenge, but we've found a way to make it work
- 99% green recycling in minutes using only supercritical water - Upcycling recycled fibers into e-mobility battery electrode material Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) are lighter and stronger than metal and are used in a variety of industries, including aviation, aerospace, automotive, marine, and sporting goods. In recent years, it has also been applied to new industries such as air mobility, which has led to an increase in its use and a waste disposal problem. However, CFRP is not naturally degradable, and high-temperature incineration methods emit toxic substances and cause environmental pollution, so it is urgent to develop recycling technology. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that a research team led by Yong-chae Jung, director of the RAMP Convergence Research Center (Convergence Research Center for Recyclable Air Mobility, Materials and Platform), has developed a technology that recycles more than 99% of CFRP materials within tens of minutes by using water in a supercritical state, which occurs under conditions of temperature and pressure above a certain level. Supercritical water has a high polarity, diffusivity, and density that allows it to selectively remove only the epoxy impregnated in the CFRP to obtain recycled carbon fiber. The researchers achieved a highly efficient recycling system using only water without using any catalysts, oxidants, or organic solvents. They also found that adding glycine to supercritical water can upcycle CFRP into recycled carbon fiber doped with nitrogen atoms. This upcycled carbon fiber has better electrical conductivity than conventional recycled carbon fiber. This is the first time that a single recycling process has been used to simultaneously recycle and upcycle CFRP within tens of minutes, controlling the structure and properties of the recycled fiber. Until now, recycled CFRP fibers have been limited to being used as fillers in composites due to their inhomogeneous properties. In comparison, the team's upcycled carbon fibers performed as well as or better than graphite in coin cell evaluations when applied as electrodes in e-mobility batteries. "As the amount of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) waste is increasing globally, we have developed a technology to upcycle it in an eco-friendly way," said Yong-chae Jung, director of the RAMP Convergence Research Center, explaining the significance of the research. "It is a meaningful research achievement that not only dramatically reduces carbon emissions, but also presents a virtuous cycle of resources that can be converted into battery electrode materials for E-mobility." [Figure 1] Conceptual diagram of utilizing waste CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforced plastic) as battery electrode materials [Figure 2] Before and after images of CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforced plastic) recycled into water (CFRP: virgin material (before recycling), N-CF: nitrogen-doped carbon fiber (after recycling)) [Figure 3] Battery capacity evaluation of upcycled, recycled and pristine carbon fiber (P-CF: raw material, R-CF: recycled carbon fiber, N-CF: nitrogen-doped recycled carbon fiber) ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ This achievement was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee) through the KIST Convergence Research Center Project (CRC23011-000) and the Nano and Material Technology Development Project (2021M3H4A1A0304129), and the results were published in the latest issue of the international journal CARBON.
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- WriterDr. Jung, Yong-chae
- 작성일2024.04.18
- Views19
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Key to Unlocking the Secret of Degenerative Brain Disorders Found
- Development of 'NeuM', a Neuron Labeling Technology Enabling Detailed Observation of Neuronal Structure - Successful Monitoring of Neuronal Changes for up to 72 Hours Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, along with stroke, are among the top three neurodegenerative disorders, characterized by the malfunction and progressive degeneration of neurons, the nerve cells. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these neurological disorders and developing therapies requires labeling technologies that can visualize neuronal changes not only in normal conditions but also in disease states. A research team led by Dr. Kim Yun Kyung from the Brain Science Institute at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), in collaboration with Professor Chang Young-Tae's team from Pohang University of Science and Technology, has announced the development of a next-generation neuron labeling technology called NeuM. NeuM (Neuronal Membrane-selective) selectively labels neuronal membranes, visualizing neuronal structures and allowing real-time monitoring of neuronal changes. Neurons continuously modify their structure and function to transmit information from sensory organs to the brain, regulating thoughts, memories, and behaviors. Therefore, to overcome degenerative neurological diseases, it is essential to develop techniques that selectively label living neurons for real-time monitoring. However, current gene-based and antibody-based labeling technologies, commonly used to observe neurons, suffer from low accuracy and difficulty in long-term tracking due to their dependence on specific gene expression or proteins. NeuM, developed by the research team through molecular design of neuronal cells, possesses excellent binding affinity to neuronal membranes, enabling long-term tracking and high-resolution imaging of neurons. The fluorescent probes within NeuM bind to neuronal membranes utilizing the activity of living cells, emitting fluorescent signals upon excitation by specific wavelengths of light. This visualization of neuronal membranes allows for detailed observation of neuronal terminal structures and high-resolution monitoring of neuronal differentiation and interactions. NeuM, as the first technology to stain cell membranes through endocytosis in living neurons, exhibits selective reactivity towards living cells, excluding dead cells without internalization. Moreover, the research team has succeeded in extending the observation time of neurons from a mere 6 hours to up to 72 hours, enabling the capture of dynamic changes in living neurons over an extended period in response to environmental changes. NeuM is expected to provide insights into research and therapy development for degenerative neurological diseases, for which there are currently no cures. These diseases, including Alzheimer's, result from neuronal damage due to the production of toxic proteins such as amyloid and the influx of inflammatory substances. NeuM's precise observation of neuronal changes can effectively facilitate the evaluation of candidate therapeutic compounds. Dr. Kim stated, "NeuM, developed this time, can distinguish aging and degenerating neurons, becoming a crucial tool in elucidating the mechanisms of degenerative brain disorders and developing treatments." He further added, "In the future, we plan to refine NeuM for even more precise analysis of neurons by designing fluorescence wavelengths to distinguish colors such as green and red." [Figure 1] Molecular Design for Selective Labeling of Neuronal Membranes [Figure 2] Researchers from Dr. Kim Yoon-kyung's team at KIST are utilizing the next-generation neuron labeling technology, 'NeuM,' to visualize neurons in real-time and examine high-resolution images. ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho) through KIST's major projects and the Dementia Overcoming Project (RS-2023-00261784). The research results have been published in the latest issue of the international academic journal "Angewandte Chemie."
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- WriterDr. Kim Yun Kyung
- 작성일2024.04.08
- Views29
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Development of Durability Evaluation Technique Against Solar Variability for Advancing Green Hydrogen Production
- Development of Durability Evaluation Technique Reflecting Solar Output Variability for Green Hydrogen Production Devices - Guidelines for Developing Core Components for Green Hydrogen Production via Water Electrolysis As green hydrogen gains attention as a future clean energy carrier, the question of which renewable energy to utilize as an energy source becomes increasingly important. Among them, solar energy has the advantage of being available everywhere on Earth, with low dependence on natural topography. However, fluctuations in solar output and generation due to factors such as season and weather lead to repetitive increases and decreases in power, posing a challenge of damaging components of production devices. Therefore, precise evaluation of the durability of devices under power fluctuations is crucial for determining the optimal timing for component replacement and developing new materials. Dr. Bora Seo's research team from the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), led by Director Yoon Seok-jin, has developed a durability evaluation technique for green hydrogen production devices with step durations as short as one second, utilizing actual solar irradiance data. This represents the application of the shortest step duration among developed techniques, enabling the most accurate simulation of fluctuations in actual solar energy output. To increase the applicability of solar energy to green hydrogen production devices, a reliable durability evaluation technique is required. However, existing durability evaluation methods have not accurately reflected solar output variability, relying solely on simple methods such as periodic cycling or constant maintenance of current and voltage. Additionally, there have been no standardized evaluation criteria for assessing the durability of core materials for water electrolysis under power fluctuation conditions. The research team has developed a simulation method that converts irradiance values into current densities using actual solar irradiance data obtained from solar panels, and using water electrolysis stack data. This has dramatically shortened the step duration from 10 seconds to 1 second, allowing fluctuations in solar output to be accurately reflected. Moreover, based on the newly developed durability evaluation technique, the team has proposed key indicators for the material development of green hydrogen production devices. Standardized analysis methods for assessing performance degradation of materials such as catalysts and electrolyte membranes, as well as indicators of performance degradation such as catalyst leaching amount, fluoride release rate, and thickness of passivation layer have been newly proposed. These guidelines can be utilized for the development of materials and components to improve the durability and performance of green hydrogen production devices. The developed durability evaluation technique can diagnose the precise condition and predict the remaining lifespan of solar-based green hydrogen production devices, facilitating efficient equipment investment and enhancing competitiveness in materials and components. This technology is expected to be applicable to assessing the performance of green hydrogen production devices based on other renewable energies such as offshore wind and tidal power. Dr. Seo stated, "This research achievement marks the first attempt to evaluate the durability of green hydrogen production devices by reflecting solar output variability most closely to reality," adding, "This can contribute to efficient equipment investment and enhancement of competitiveness in materials and components for green hydrogen production systems." [Figure 1] Comparison of Solar-Based Durability Evaluation Techniques with Constant Current and Cyclic Current Methods [Figure 2] Degradation Analysis of Key Materials for Water Electrolysis Before and After Solar-Based Durability Evaluation [Figure 3] Durability Evaluation Experiment Reflecting Solar Output Variability for Green Hydrogen Production Devices ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho) through KIST's major projects and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister Ahn Dae-keun) through the Materials and Components Technology Development Project (20022451). The research results have been published in the prestigious international journal "Energy & Environmental Science" (IF 32.5, JCR top 0.4%) in the field of environmental energy.
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- WriterDr. Seo, Bora
- 작성일2024.04.08
- Views19
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Developing artificial skin that can regenerate skin and transmit sensation at the same time
- Development of biomimetic bionic skin and tactile neurotransmission system - Successful animal model implantation of bionic artificial skin composed of sensors and biomaterials Damage to nerve tissue due to skin defects such as burns, skin diseases, and trauma causes loss of sensory and cognitive functions that are essential for life-sustaining activities, as well as mental and physical distress. If the damage is severe enough that natural healing is not possible, surgical treatment is required to implant artificial skin in the affected area, but the artificial skin developed to date has focused on skin regeneration, providing a structure and environment similar to skin tissue, but has not restored sensation to patients. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that a research team led by Dr. Youngmee Jung of the Center for Biomaterials and Dr. Hyunjung Yi of the Post-Silicon Semiconductor Institute, in collaboration with Prof. Ki Jun Yu of Yonsei University and Prof. Tae-il Kim of Sungkyunkwan University, has developed a human-implantable tactile smart bionic artificial skin. Unlike conventional artificial skin, which focuses on skin regeneration, smart bionic artificial skin can restore even permanently damaged tactile senses by fusing biocompatible materials and a tactile function delivery system implemented with electronic devices. The artificial skin developed by the team is a hydrogel composed of collagen and fibrin, the main components of skin, that can detect even small pressure changes by inserting crack-based tactile sensors. The sensed pressure changes are converted into electrical signals via Wireless powered pressure-frequency modulation (WPPFM) circuit, which are then transmitted to the nerves by tactile nerve interfacing electrodes, allowing the device to perform the same tactile functions as the skin. The researchers also found that collagen and fibrin, which are responsible for skin's elasticity and tissue connectivity, trigger the proliferation and differentiation of skin cells around the wound to promote skin regeneration. The smart bionic artificial skin was implanted into rats with severe skin damage to test its effectiveness in promoting skin regeneration and reestablishing tactile function, and it showed a wound healing effect of more than 120% compared to the control group at 14 days after implantation. In addition, it detected external changes in the pressure range of 10 to 40 kPa, which is similar to the pressure range felt by human fingertips, and adjusted the electrical signals accordingly to change the rat's response. In particular, the artificial skin developed by the researchers is effective for sensory transmission and skin regeneration because it is implanted directly into the nerves along the subcutaneous fat layer of the damaged skin. After skin regeneration in patients with nerve damage, tactile sensors can operate in the subcutaneous layer, greatly improving independence in daily life. Even in the case of elderly people with degenerated sensory functions, it is expected that the degenerated sensory functions can be restored by directly inserting tactile electronic devices made with high-density integration technology into the subcutaneous layer. "This research is the result of convergence research on devices, materials, and regenerative medicine that effectively combines biomaterials and electronic device technology," said Dr. Youngmee Jung of KIST. "We plan to conduct additional clinical trials in collaboration with medical institutions and companies for commercialization, and we also plan to expand our research to reconstruct various functions of skin tissue such as temperature, vibration, and pain." [Fig 1] Human Implantable Tactile Function Smart Bionic Artificial Skin Components [Fig 2] Neural transmission mechanisms of external stimuli through integrated devices ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho) through the Nano-Materials Source Technology Development Project (2018M3A7B4071106). The findings were published in the latest issue of Nature Communications (IF 16.6, top 7.5% in JCR), a sister journal of Nature and a global authority on international interdisciplinary research.
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- WriterDr. Jung Youngmee
- 작성일2024.04.04
- Views20
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Twist of groundwater contaminants
- Synergistic effect of nitrate on natural purification of groundwater discovered - New water quality management paradigm for Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) techniques to secure stable water resources In recent years, the world has been experiencing floods and droughts as extreme rainfall events have become more frequent due to climate change. For this reason, securing stable water resources throughout the year has become a national responsibility called 'water security', and 'Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR)', which stores water in the form of groundwater in the ground when water resources are available and withdraws it when needed, is attracting attention as an effective water resource management technique. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that a team of Dr. Seunghak Lee, Jaeshik Chung, and Sang Hyun Kim from the Water Resources Cycle Research Center has discovered that the natural purification of groundwater is enhanced by nitrate, a known pollutant. In order to apply ASR techniques in practice, it is very important to predict and manage the quality of recharged water, and this research is expected to mark a turning point in the water quality management strategy of ASR systems. In addition to storing water resources, ASR techniques have the added benefit of improving water quality through various reactions in the ground. The organic pollutants in the recharged water are degraded by the interaction of microorganisms in the aquifer soil with the iron oxide minerals, and in general, the iron oxide minerals are gradually transformed and the effective surface area is reduced, causing the natural attenuation of organic pollutants to stop. The KIST researchers found that the coexistence of nitrate in the recharged water leads to the formation of a new type of iron oxide, which results in a much higher removal efficiency than the stoichiometrically predicted organic pollutant removal efficiency. The coexistence of nitrate increases the duration of natural attenuation because it creates new species of iron oxides that can sustain the degradation of organic contaminants. Furthermore, the researchers found that the pollutant nitrate is removed during the overall reaction. "This is the first study to confirm the positive role of nitrate in groundwater, which is known only as a water pollutant," said Dr. Seunghak Lee of KIST. "Based on this, we are promoting the development of ASR water quality management protocols that dramatically change the existing water quality management paradigm, such as introducing allowable standards for nitrate residue in the pretreatment process of the recharging water." [Fig 1] Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) Overview [Fig 2] Natural attenuation of organic pollutants by iron oxide reductive dissolution in aquifers during ASR [Fig 3] Increased removal efficiency of organic pollutants due to the generation of new type of iron oxide minerals in the presence of nitrate ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ The results of the research, which was funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee) through the Climate Change Impact Minimization Technology Development Project (2020M3H5A1080712) and the KIST K-Lab Program (2E33084), were published in the February issue of the international journal Water Research. Journal : Water Research Title : Synergetic effect of nitrate on dissolved organic carbon attenuation through dissimilatory iron reduction during aquifer storage and recovery Publication Date : 2024.02.01. DOI : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2023.120954
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- WriterDr. Lee, Seunghak
- 작성일2024.03.27
- Views158
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Developing bifunctional catalyst performance enhancement technology that will lower the cost of hydrogen production
- Overcoming the durability limits of bifunctional catalysts for simultaneous hydrogen and oxygen production - Presenting large area reactor drive technology for commercialization of electrochemical systems Dr. Hyung-Suk Oh and Dr. Woong-Hee Lee of the Clean Energy Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), in collaboration with POSTECH and Yonsei University, have developed a methodology to improve the reversibility and durability of electrodes using bifunctional platinum-nickel alloy catalysts with an octahedral structure that exhibits both oxygen reduction and generation reactions. Bifunctional catalysts are a new generation of catalysts that simultaneously produce hydrogen and oxygen from water using a single catalyst. Currently, electrochemical systems such as water electrolysis technology and CCU (carbon dioxide capture and utilization) utilize separate catalysts for both electrodes, resulting in a high unit cost of hydrogen production. On the other hand, bifunctional catalysts that can be synthesized in a single production process are attracting attention as a technology that can reduce production costs and increase the economic efficiency of electrochemical energy conversion technologies. However, the problem with bifunctional catalysts is that after each electrochemical reaction that generates hydrogen and oxygen, the performance of other reactions decreases due to structural changes in the electrode material. Therefore, in order to commercialize bifunctional catalysts, it is important to secure reversibility and durability that can maintain the catalyst structure for a long time after the reaction. To enhance the reversibility and durability of the bifunctional catalyst, the team synthesized alloy catalysts with different structures by mixing platinum and nickel, which have high performance in oxygen reduction and generation reactions, respectively. The experimental results showed that the nickel-platinum interaction was most active in the octahedral structure, and the alloy catalysts performed more than twice as well as the platinum and nickel monoliths in oxygen reduction and generation reactions. The researchers identified platinum oxide generated during the repeated generation reaction of the alloy catalyst as the cause of the performance degradation and developed a structure restoration methodology to reduce platinum oxide to platinum. The team confirmed through transmission electron microscopy that the methodology restored the catalyst's shape, and in large-area reactor experiments for commercialization, the team succeeded in restoring the catalyst shape and more than doubled the run time. The team's bifunctional catalysts and structure recovery methodology are expected to accelerate the commercialization of unitized renewable fuel cells (URFCs) technology by replacing the separate catalysts for oxygen evolution and reduction reactions with bifunctional catalysts. URFCs that can produce both hydrogen and electricity can lower production costs by reducing the input of expensive catalysts while maintaining performance. "The technology to improve the reversibility and durability of catalysts has provided a new direction for the development of bifunctional catalysts, which is an important technology for electrochemical energy conversion systems," said Hyung-suk Oh, lead researcher at KIST. "It will contribute to the commercialization and carbon neutrality of electrochemical systems such as URFCs in the future.“ [Fig 1] Unitized Renewable Fuel Cells operation schematic [Fig 2] Structural changes of platinum at each reaction step using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in-situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy [Fig 3] In-situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy instrumentation schematic ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho) under the 'KIST Institutional Program', 'Carbon to X Project' (2020M3H7A109822921), and 'Creative Convergence Research Project' (CAP21013-100) of the National Research Council of Korea (Chairman Kim Bok-cheol). The results were published in the latest issue of the prestigious international journal 'Advanced Energy Materials' (IF: 27.8, top 2.5% in JCR) and were selected for the back cover image. Journal : Advanced Energy Materials Title : Activity restoration of Pt-Ni octahedron via phase recovery for anion exchange membrane-unitized regenerative fuel cells Publication Date : 2024.01.12. DOI : https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202302971
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- WriterDr. Hyung-Suk Oh
- 작성일2024.03.21
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