- Revealed the principle that gaseous materials cause densification of proton ceramic electrolytes - One step closer to commercializing protonic ceramic electrolysis cells for green hydrogen production Green hydrogen production technology is absolutely necessary to finally realize the hydrogen economy because unlike gray hydrogen, green hydrogen does not generate large amounts of carbon dioxide in the production process. Green hydrogen production technology based on solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC), which produce hydrogen from water using renewable energy, has recently attracted attention because it does not generate pollutants. Among these technologies, high-temperature SOECs have the advantage of excellent efficiency and production speed. The protonic ceramic cell is a high-temperature SOEC technology that utilizes a proton ceramic electrolyte to transfer hydrogen ions within material. These cells also use a technology that can reduce operating temperatures from 700 ℃ or more to 500 ℃ or less, thereby reducing system size and price and improving long-term operation reliability by delaying deterioration. However, it has been difficult to enter the commercialization stage because the key mechanism responsible for sintering protonic ceramic electrolytes at relatively low temperatures during the cell manufacturing process has not been specifically identified. Dr. Ho-Il Ji, Dr. Jong-Ho Lee, and Dr. Hyungmook Kang's research team at the Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Yoon Seok Jin), announced that they have increased the possibility of commercialization by identifying this electrolyte sintering mechanism: a next-generation high-efficiency ceramic cell that had not previously been identified. The research team designed and conducted various model experiments based on the fact that the transient phase generated on the electrode during the electrolyte-electrode sintering process affects the densification of the electrolyte. They discovered for the first time that supplying the electrolyte with a small amount of gaseous sintering aid material from the transient phase promotes sintering of the electrolyte. Gaseous sintering aids are extremely rare and technically difficult to observe; therefore, the hypothesis that the densification of the electrolyte in proton ceramic cells is caused by vaporized sintering aids has never been proposed. The research team verified the gaseous sintering aid using computational science and confirmed that the reaction did not impair the unique electrical properties of the electrolyte. Thus, the design of the core manufacturing process of proton ceramic cells is expected to be possible. Dr. Ji of KIST said, "Through this research, we have come one step closer to developing the core manufacturing process for protonic ceramic cells. We plan to conduct research on the manufacturing process of large-area, high-efficiency proton ceramic cells in the future." He also mentioned that, "If large-area technology is successfully developed, it will be possible to produce pink hydrogen in connection with next-generation nuclear technology as well as green hydrogen in connection with renewable energy, which will lead to the commercialization of ceramic cells and accelerate the realization of the hydrogen economy." This research was conducted under major KIST projects, the New Renewable Energy Technology Development Project by the National Research Foundation of Korea, supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee), and the New Renewable Energy Technology Development Project by the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning, which is supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (Minister Chang-yang Lee). The research results were published in the latest issue of ACS Energy Letters (IF: 23.991, top 3.211% in the JCR field), an international journal in the field of energy. Journal: ACS Energy Letters Title: An Unprecedented Vapor-Phase Sintering Activator for Highly Refractory Proton-Conducting Oxides Publication Date: 21-Oct-2022 DIO: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.2c02059 The principle of accelerating electrolyte densification in the proton ceramic cell manufacturing process

- Development of ultrafast PCR technology using materials that generate heat when exposed to light - Expected for rapid diagnosis in pharmacies and clinics due to miniaturized device use PCR technology is a molecular diagnostics technology that detects target nucleic acids by amplifying the DNA amount. It has brought marked progress in the life sciences field since its development in 1984. This technology has recently become familiar to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic, since PCR can detect nucleic acids that identify the COVID-19 virus. However, due to the technical nature of the PCR test, results cannot be immediately delivered. It takes at least 1 to 2 hours for the test as it requires repeated temperature cycles (60~95℃). Dr. Sang Kyung Kim (Director) and Dr. Seungwon Jung’s research team at the Center for Augmented Safety System with Intelligence, Sensing of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President: Seok Jin Yoon) announced that they had developed an ultrafast PCR technology. By using photothermal nanomaterials, the ultrafast PCR shortens the test time by 10-fold, compared with the time taken for the existing test. The new method is completed in 5 minutes, with diagnostic performance equal to that of the existing test method. Photothermal nanomaterials generate heat immediately upon light irradiation. As such, photothermal nanomaterials rapidly increase in temperature, but it is difficult to maintain performance due to their low stability. The KIST research team has developed a polymer composite that physically holds photothermal nanomaterials and can overcome their instability. By applying it to a PCR system, they have successfully developed a compact PCR system without a heat plate. In addition, they implemented a multiplex diagnostic technology that detects several genes at once, enabling it to distinguish several types of COVID-19 variants in a single reaction. Director Sang Kyung Kim states, “through additional research, we plan to miniaturize the developed ultrafast PCR technology this year, to develop a device that can be utilized anywhere. While maintaining the strength of PCR as an accurate diagnostic method, we will increase its convenience, field applicability, and promptness, by which we expect that it will become a precision diagnostic device that can be used at primary local clinics, pharmacies, and even at home. In addition, PCR technology is a universal molecular diagnostic technology that can be applied to various diseases other than infectious diseases, so it will become more applicable.” This research was carried out by the Practical Convergence Research Center, sponsored by the National Research Council of Science and Technology (Chairperson Bok Chul Kim), and published in the latest online issue of 'ACS Nano' (IF: 18.027, top 5.652% in the JCR field), an authoritative journal in the field of nanomaterials. Journal: ACS Nano Title: Ultrafast Real-Time PCR in Photothermal Microparticles Publication Date: 2022. 12. 6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c07017 Schematic diagram of PCR temperature cycle using the photothermal effect in polymeric microparticles Changes in fluorescence signals during a real-time PCR of polymeric microparticles

- Compact 'Energy Harvesting' technology equipped with an autonomous resonance-tuning mechanism - Realization of stable power supply for small electronic devices (IOT sensors) through demonstration The Internet of Things (IoT) requires the installation free of time and space, therefore, needs independent power sources that are not restricted by batteries or power lines. Energy harvesting technology harvests wasted energy such as vibration, heat, light, and electromagnetic waves from everyday settings, such as automobiles, buildings, and home appliances, and converts it into electrical energy. Energy harvesters can generate sufficient electricity to run small electronic devices by harvesting ambient energy sources without an external power supply. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) announced that Dr. Hyun-Cheol Song's research team at the Electronic Materials Research Center developed an autonomous resonance tuning (ART) piezoelectric energy harvester that autonomously adjusts its resonance according to the surrounding environment. The developed energy harvester can tune its own resonance over a broad bandwidth of more than 30 Hz, and convert the absorbed vibration energy into electrical energy. The energy harvesting process that converts vibration into electrical energy inevitably causes a mechanical energy loss, which leads to low energy conversion efficiency. This problem can be solved by using the resonance phenomenon in which the vibration amplifies when the natural frequency of an object and the frequency of the vibration match. However, while the natural frequency of the energy harvester is fixed, the various vibrations we experience in our everyday settings have different ranges of frequency. For this reason, the natural frequency of the harvester must be adjusted to the usage environment every time in order to induce resonance, making it difficult to put into practical use. Accordingly, the KIST research team developed a specially designed energy harvester that can tune itself to the surrounding frequency without a separate electrical device. When the energy harvester senses the vibration of the surroundings, an adaptive clamping system (tuning system) attached to the harvester modulates its frequency to the same frequency as the external vibration, thus enabling resonance. As a result, it was possible to quickly achieve resonant frequency tuning within 2 seconds, continuously generating electricity in a broad bandwidth of more than 30Hz. For the real-world validation of the ART function, this energy harvester equipped with a tuning system was mounted on a driving vehicle. Unlike piezoelectric energy harvesters that have been introduced in preceding studies, it successfully drove a wireless positioning device without a battery in an environment where the vibration frequency continuously changed. Dr. Song (KIST), who led this study, said, "This result suggests that energy harvesters using vibrations can be applied to our real life soon. It is expected to be applicable as an independent power source for wireless sensors, including the IOT, in the future." This research was carried out as a KIST major project supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee), and as an energy technology development project of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister Chang-yang Lee). The results of this study were published as a front cover in the issue of Advanced Science, an international journal in the energy field. Journal: Advanced Science Title: Autonomous Resonance-Tuning Mechanism for Environmental Adaptive Energy Harvesting Publication Date: 28-Nov-2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202205179 Schematics for energy harvester structure and adaptive clamping system (above) Graphs showing the characteristics of an ART energy harvester Diagrams showing the potential for practical use of an ART energy harvester that successfully drives a positioning device by utilizing the vibration energy of an automobile engine.

- Development of a sweat sensor patch that converts and processes sweat flow rate and ion concentration into spike signals - Resolves driving time and energy issues for long-term sweat monitoring unconventionally Human sweat contains chemical information including blood metabolites, ion concentrations, and nutrients. Monitoring this information using a wearable sensor can allow non-invasive (i.e. without blood sampling), real time health status tracking. For example, knowing sweat volume and ion concentrations can help people maintain adequate water and sodium levels during physical activities, and can prevent hypoglycemic shock by identifying symptomatic excessive sweating. Since a wearable sweat sensor patch generates a large amount of redundant data due to real-time continuous data wireless transmission and consumes a considerable amount of energy, it has been difficult to achieve sufficient operating time to render its use practical. Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) announced that Dr. Hyunjung Yi's research team at the Center for Spintronics and professor Rhokyun Kwak's research team at the Hanyang University Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed a wearable sweat sensor patch with dramatically improved energy efficiency that can operate for more than 24 hours by imitating the efficient information processing method of sensory neurons. When a human sensory neuron receives external stimuli, it translates the information into spike signals. External stimulus strength is directly proportional to spike signal frequency. This event-based spike signal processing method used by neurons enables efficient, fast, and accurate processing of massive amounts of complex external stimulus data. If this "event-based wireless monitoring" method used by human sensory neurons is applied, data is only transmitted when important events related to the user's health indicators occur, minimizing energy consumption by the wireless monitor. These research teams have developed a wireless wearable sweat sensor patch that imitates the 'spike signals' of sensory neurons and has demonstrated in clinical trials the ability to dramatically reduce energy consumption through event-based wireless monitoring. Sweat is structured by the patch in a way that places a sweat removal layer on top of a conical open vertical sweat channel that can rapidly remove the sweat filling in the channel (Figure 2). Each sweat channel inner wall harbors a pair of electrodes, allowing conversion of the process of sweat filling the channel and getting removed into electrical signals. Electrical signals increase when channels are filled, and rapidly decrease each time the sweat is instantaneously removed. As this process is repeated, a spike-form signal is created. The frequency and amplitude of the spike signals carry interpretable information on the speed of sweat excretion and the concentration of sweat ion components. Through the repeated process of filling and emptying, the sweat sensor can operate continuously for a long period of time, and since newly secreted sweat is not mixed with preexisting sweat, the sensor can deliver accurate information. The research teams have experimentally proven that the energy consumption of this event-based data transmission method is only 0.63% of the energy consumption of continuous data transmission, allowing the developed wearable sweat sensor patch to operate continuously for more than 24 hours. Information from sweat on various skin surfaces in real exercise situations has successfully been obtained in clinical trials. Development of this patch enables long-term sweat monitoring that can be used to detect acute diseases or their precursors, such as nocturnal hypoglycemic shock and heart attack. The sensing method is expected to enable more energy-efficient and intelligent digital health management by application to other types of skin-attached sensors and adoption of new computing technologies. This research was conducted as a part of the Samsung Research Funding Center of Samsung Electronics and supported by a Midcareer Research Grant from the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong Ho Lee). It has been published as the Editors' highlight paper in the international journal 'Nature Communication'. Journal: Nature Communications Title: An epifluidic electronic patch with spiking sweat clearance for event-driven perspiration monitoring DIO: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-34442-y Schematic diagram of spike encoding in response to external stimuli by a biological sensory neuron and by the newly developed sweat sensor patch Structure and operating principle of the newly developed sweat sensor patch (top). Spike event-based wireless sweat monitoring clinical study using sweat sensor patch (bottom).

- The use of expensive carbon nanotubes is reduced up to 50% while maintaining the mechanical properties - The next-generation carbon fiber overcomes the physical property limitations of existing carbon fibers Carbon nanotubes are a novel material that is 100 times stronger than steel while only one-fourth its weight, and have electrical conductivity as high as that of copper. If fibers could be made using carbon nanotubes, theoretically, these fibers could surpass the performance of existing carbon fibers, making carbon-nanotube-based fibers a novel material of interest in the aerospace, military, and future mobility industries. However, maintaining the superior properties of carbon nanotubes in fibers is very challenging, and the commercialization of such fibers is difficult due to the extremely high cost of carbon nanotubes. A research team led by Dr. Bon-Cheol Ku of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) Jeonbuk Institute of Advanced Composite Materials collaborated with a research team led by Professor Han Gi Chae from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST, President Yong Hoon Lee) to develop a low-cost fabrication technology for carbon-nanotube-based composite carbon fibers with extremely high tensile strength and high modulus. Generally, carbon fibers are manufactured as high-strength fibers based on the polymer polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or highly modulus fibers using pitch derived from pyrolyzed fuel oil. The research team developed a technology that greatly improved the modulus while maintaining high strength by utilizing carbon nanotubes and polyimide (PI). The team successfully fabricated fibers with high modulus (528 GPa) and high strength (6.2 GPa) by initially creating a carbon nanotube and polyimide composite fiber using a continuous wet spinning process and then applying a high-temperature heat treatment. The reported modulus is 1.6 times greater than that of commercially available fibers (~320 GPa). Additionally, microstructure analysis verified that the physical properties of the fabricated material were improved by reducing the void within the fibers, and that the carbon nanotube/polyimide compound improved the orientation of the carbon nanotubes. The research team was able to fabricate these extremely high-strength and modulus fibers while replacing up to 50% of the carbon nanotubes with low-cost polyimide to lower the overall cost. Dr. Ku of KIST said, "This research is meaningful because the fabrication cost of carbon-nanotube-based carbon fibers can be greatly reduced by using low-cost polymers." He added, "These novel carbon fibers, which used to be difficult to commercialize due to high cost, are expected to be used in the aerospace, military, and future mobility industries." This research was conducted through KIST's K-Lab and Open Research Program (KIST Jeonbuk, Director-General: Jin Sang Kim) and the Material Parts Technology Development Project from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The research results were published in a special issue of ‘Composites Part B: Engineering’ highlighting the 50th anniversary of carbon fiber development. Comparison of carbon fibers and the high-strength/high-elasticity composite fiber consisting of polymer and carbon nanotubes Title: Ultrahigh strength and modulus of polyimide-carbon nanotube based carbon and graphitic fibers with superior electrical and thermal conductivities for advanced composite applications Journal: Composites Part B: Engineering DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2022.110342

- A world record-breaking solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of 1.1% has been achieved, revolutionizing the production of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide, a key chemical used in the semiconductor production process, is one of the top 100 industrial chemicals and an important raw material widely used in disinfection, oxidation, and pulp manufacturing. The global hydrogen peroxide market is expected to exceed 7 trillion won in 2024. However, it is predicted that stable supply of hydrogen peroxide will be difficult to achieve due to the recent worldwide covid quarantine measures and rapid increase in demand for semiconductor production. Moreover, the current production method of hydrogen peroxide is a thermochemical process (anthraquinone process), which uses palladium, an expensive rare metal, as a catalyst at high temperature and pressure. This process not only consumes a lot of energy, but also causes various environmental problems such as the risk of explosion and emission of greenhouse gases. Although many efforts have been made to produce hydrogen peroxide with low energy consumption and low carbon emission, it is challenging to overcome the threshold of commercialization due to extremely low productivity and efficiency. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop eco-friendly technologies that can solve the problems of existing thermochemical processes. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) announced in last November that Dr. Jeehye Byun’s research team at the Center for Water Cycle Research and Dr. Dong Ki Lee’s research team at the Clean Energy Research Center developed a new technology that uses sunlight to produce hydrogen peroxide at an unprecedented high concentration, replacing the need for high-temperature and high-pressure energy. This technology is an example of replacing a thermochemical process with a photocatalytic process to produce key chemical raw materials without carbon emissions. The KIST research team designed the photocatalytic reaction solution as an organic solution based on the fact that anthraquinone organic molecules undergo repeated oxidation and reduction reactions in the existing thermochemical process to produce hydrogen peroxide. As a result, they discovered that the oxygen reduction ability of the photocatalyst was improved in the organic reaction solution, and hydrogen peroxide production was greatly increased. In addition, the research team identified for the first time that the organic reaction solution itself absorbs light and produces hydrogen peroxide through a photochemical reaction. The research team achieved the result of producing hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 53,000 ppm (i.e., 5.3%) per unit time and per gram of photocatalyst by using sunlight when controlling the photocatalyst and reaction solution. This is an achievement that exceeds the hydrogen peroxide production industry standard of at least 10,000 ppm, or 1%, by more than five times. Therefore, this is a breakthrough performance figure considering that the existing photocatalyst technology only produces hydrogen peroxide at the level of tens to hundreds of ppm. This technology achieved a solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of 1.1% through the synergistic effect of two photoreactions, i.e., photocatalyst and photochemistry, breaking the world's highest efficiency as well as the previous photocatalyst's highest efficiency of 0.61%. Dr. Byun and Dr. Lee of KIST said that “This study proves that low-carbon, eco-friendly technology using sunlight can also produce core industrial fuels with high concentration and purity.” They also mentioned, in their own words, that “We verified the completeness of the technology by linking the process of refining the produced hydrogen peroxide to a liter scale, and we will strive to commercialize the technology through large-scale demonstration in the future.” This research outcome is a novel technology achieved through convergence research between young scientists at KIST, which was conducted under the KIST Future Source National Technology Development Project, Excellent Emerging Research Project, Nano and Materials Technology Development Project, Biomedical Technology Development Project, and Advanced Convergence Research Project with the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee). The results of this study were published as a cover paper in the latest issue of ‘Energy & Environmental Science’. [Figure] Schematic diagram of solar hydrogen peroxide production technology Cover of research achievement Source: Energy Environ. Sci., 2022, 15, 4853 DOI: 10.1039/D2EE90071H Title: Solar-driven H2O2 production via cooperative auto-and photocatalytic oxidation in fine-tuned reaction media Journal: Energy & Environmental Science DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EE02504C

- Complete replacement of existing petrochemical-based solvents with environmentally friendly solvents - Production of economically secured and environmentally friendly biofuels and renewable chemicals in a ‘one-pot process’ Biomass refers to biological organisms, including plants, that synthesize organic matter utilizing solar energy and animals that use these plants as food. Biomass also includes resources that can be converted into chemical energy. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, substantial efforts have been made worldwide to develop biorefinery technology that can replace fossil fuels with biofuels. However, the conventional biofuel production process involves the use of highly toxic solvents, which are mainly derived from petroleum causing environmental and economic concerns. Dr. Kwang Ho Kim’s research team at the Clean Energy Research Center of Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) developed a green solvent that can completely replace conventional petrochemical-based solvents while maximizing the efficiency of biofuel production. The researchers announced that it is now possible to produce sustainable and economically secured biofuels. After screening various solvent candidates, the KIST research team synthesized a green deep eutectic solvent that is also biocompatible with microorganisms during the fermentation process. The synthesized eutectic solvents were systematically analyzed by advanced nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and computational analysis. The ‘one-pot process’ based on the newly developed solvent maximized the production efficiency of high-purity biofuels and biochemicals by integrating three to four complex existing processes into one consolidated process. It was also announced that the one-pot process that uses environmentally friendly solvents is sustainable, does not emit pollutants, does not require washing water, and allows for the reuse of solvents. Dr. Kim of KIST said, “By overcoming the uneconomical problems currently being faced by the biorefinery industry via the development of green solvents and maximization of biofuel production process efficiency, Korea will be able to take the lead in the ‘Race to Zero’ by developing this sustainable technology.” This research was supported by by the KIST and the National Research Foundation of Korea (Minister Jong Ho Lee). This collaborative research was conducted between the University of British Columbia, State University of New York, National Institute of Forest Science of Korea and Korea Military Academy. The research results were published in the latest issue of Green Chemistry (Impact Factor: 11.034), an international journal in the energy and environment field and were selected as the back cover. One-pot process for producing biofuels and biochemicals from biomass using environmentally friendly eutectic solvents Title: One-pot conversion of engineered poplar into biochemicals and biofuels using biocompatible deep eutectic solvents Journal: Green Chemistry DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D2GC02774G

- Revealed cause of the reduced lifespan of manganese-based cathode materials, and expensive nickel is expected to be replaced - Battery strategy with improved lifespan by 62% with electrode-electrolyte interface stabilization technology Currently, most cathode materials used in batteries for electric vehicles are layered oxides composed of nickel for over 60% of the transition metals. Using nickel-rich layered oxide is advantageous in securing the mileage of an electric vehicle due to its high energy density, but its usage is limited by instability in the supply and demand of nickel raw materials. As an alternative, researchers focused on spinel cathode materials that use manganese as the main element, considering manganese is traded at a price of about 1/17 of nickel in the international spot market; however, the rapid decline in lifespan was an obstacle to commercialization. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) announced that Dr. Jihyun Hong's research team at the Energy Materials Research Center identified the cause of the rapid decline in life span-a chronic problem of high-capacity manganese-based spinel cathode materials. This team worked on significantly increasing the possibility of commercializing lithium batteries with manganese cathode materials as next-generation electric vehicle batteries. Manganese-based spinel cathode materials can theoretically store energy with a high density comparable to nickel-based commercial cathode materials. Considering the price of metal raw materials, the energy density per price for manganese-based spinel cathode could reach 2.8 times that of nickel-based cathodes. However, when using the battery at full capacity, a rapid decrease in lifespan is observed; as a result, practically only approximately 75% of the theoretical value could be stored. It has been established that the trivalent manganese (Mn3+) formed during the charging and discharging process of manganese-based spinel cathode materials distorts the crystal structure of the material, leading to the elution of manganese into the electrolyte and eventually causing a reduction in the lifespan of the cathode material. As a result, most research has focused on suppressing the formation of trivalent manganese. Contrary to mainstream academic theories, Dr. Hong's team at KIST (first author: student researcher Gukhyun Lim) recently discovered that cathode materials exhibit excellent lifespan characteristics even when trivalent manganese is formed if the operating voltage range of the battery is adjusted. The research team utilized advanced material characterization techniques, including synchrotron radiation techniques, to interpret the phenomena that existing theories cannot explain. Through the thorough analyses, for the first time, it was identified that the side reaction at the interface between the cathode material and electrolyte during the repeated charging and discharging process is the cause of lifespan reduction. The research team further presented a key strategy to dramatically improve the lifespan of manganese-based materials by stabilizing the cathode-electrolyte interface. As an example of this strategy, introducing an EC-free electrolyte resulted in a 62% improvement in lifespan compared to commercial electrolytes. This improvement results in the highest capacity retention and rate capability among the performances of manganese-based spinel cathode materials simultaneously using nickel and manganese redox reactions reported so far. Dr. Hong of KIST said, "Through this research, KIST presented a new methodology for commercializing manganese-based high-energy cathode materials, which will be a catalyst for the expansion of electric vehicles." He also mentioned, "If academia and industry focus on applying the interface stabilization technology of nickel-based cathode materials, which has accumulated a lot of capabilities, to manganese-based next-generation cathode materials, we expect that Korean companies in the automobile industry could maintain a higher level of competitiveness in the future." This research was conducted under major KIST projects and Individual Research program (excellent young researcher, mid-career researcher) of the National Research Foundation of Korea with the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee), with the research results selected as the full front cover page paper of 'Advanced Energy Materials' (IF: 29.698, top 2.464% in the JCR field), a world-renowned journal in the field of energy materials. [Figure 1] Selected image for the full front cover page paper [Figure 2] Changes in the price of cathode materials over the past three years (left), performance comparison of manganese-based cathode materials compared to other cathode materials (right). The square indicates the manganese-based cathode material studied with this achievement. [Figure 3] Newly identified maganese-based spinel cathode-electrolyte interface side reation mechanism Title: Regulating Dynamic Electrochemical Interface of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 Spinel Cathode for Realizing Simultaneous Mn and Ni Redox in Rechargeable Lithium Batteries Journal: Advanced Energy Materials DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202202049

- KIST develops nano filter manufacturing technology for heavy metal removal using coffee grounds - 150,000 tons annual domestic waste recycling path opened Only 0.2 % of the coffee beans used to make a cup of coffee become the actual coffee we drink, whilst the remaining 99.8% of the coffee grounds are thrown away. The amount of coffee waste generated this way is equivalent to approximately 150,000 tons per year in Korea alone. When coffee grounds are landfilled, greenhouse gases are generated and furthermore, when they are incinerated large volumes of carbon are generated. This poses a significant environmental issue, and as a result, a new method of recycling this to make a semiconductor wastewater purification material has been developed. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok-Jin Yoon) announced that Dr. Min Wook Lee’s research team at the Functional Composite Materials Research Center, in collaboration with Professor Young-Gwan Kim’s research team at the Department of Chemistry at Dongguk University, have succeeded in developing a nanocomposite filter for the removal of copper ions, by combining coffee grounds discarded as household waste with biodegradable polymers. Heavy metals in semiconductor wastewater can cause fatal damage to major human organs such as the kidneys, liver, and brain, whilst emissions have also increased due to the increase in recent semiconductor production. This explains why purification technology that can allow the effective removal of heavy metals, including copper, in semiconductor waste is needed. Since the surface of coffee grounds not only has a porous structure, but also consists of various functional groups with negative charges, it can be used to adsorb positively charged heavy metals in wastewater. However, since existing research has used methods such as dissolving coffee grounds in water, one limitation was that the used coffee grounds had to be collected again. Utilizing the composite material technology possessed by the KIST Jeonbuk Branch, the research team was able to collect coffee grounds in the commonly used capsule coffee and uniformly compounded them in a solvent with PCL (Poly Capro Lactone), a biodegradable plastic, without a specific pretreatment process such as washing or removing impurities. Then, this composite solution was electrospun to construct a nanocomposite filter composed of coffee grounds and biodegradable polymers in a very dense and uniform conformation. Within 4 h, the resultant material could achieve a heavy metal removal efficiency of 90 % or more from wastewater with an initial concentration of 100 μM (micromolar), whilst satisfying the drinking water standards. With one coffee capsule (approximately 5g), a nanocomposite filter capable of purifying approximately 10 L of wastewater could be manufactured. Dr. Min-Wook Lee of KIST stated, “This research is meaningful in that it developed an economical and environmentally friendly water treatment technology by simply making composite materials from waste, which is the cause of environmental pollution,” he continued, “In the future, we plan to surface-treat coffee grounds or explore other natural materials to develop various filters that are environmentally friendly and have high performance.” The results of this research are expected to not only lead the semiconductor process, which is a key national industry, but also to suggest solutions for problems that the coffee industry has been struggling with, and lead global environmental issues. This study was conducted with the support of the Nano·Material Technology Development Program (Material Innovation Leading Project) of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Carbon Reducing Petroleum Raw Material Alternative Chemical Process Development Project of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. The research results were published online in the latest issue of Journal of Water Process Engineering (IF: 7.34, top 7.5 % in JCR field), an international academic journal in the field of water resource treatment. [Figure 1] Conceptual diagram of the nanocomposite filter Schematic diagram of the process in which heavy metal ions contained in semiconductor wastewater are removed through a nanocomposite filter and become drinking water. This expresses the process of the rebirth of coffee grounds into a nanocomposite filter [Figure 2] Nanocomposite filter micrograph A composite filter made of Polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers and coffee particles

- A detoxification coating achieved on various materials by complexation of a detoxification catalyst through functional polymer design - Expected to contribute to next-generation protective suits and equipment, as well as to detoxification treatment of chemical leakage Highly toxic organic compounds are colorless, odorless, and can be used to perpetrate massacres in very small amounts; thus, their use is prohibited by the Chemical Weapons Convention worldwide. Nevertheless, there have been reports of chemical weapon use recently, and therefore, there is an emerging need to develop protective materials against such threats. Currently, activated charcoals are used in protective suits and gas masks to remove toxic chemicals by absorption, but they have their own problems, such as secondary contamination; thus, the development of detoxification catalysts that can fundamentally remove toxicity is required. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Yoon Seokjin) announced that the research team led by Dr. Baek Kyung Youl, a senior researcher at the Materials Architecturing Research Center, succeeded in developing a detoxification composite that can be easily processed into a coating material, continuing on their success in developing a nano-based detoxification catalyst in 2019. The previously developed metal-organic framework (MOF) detoxification catalyst had high performance, but was in the form of particles that break like sand; thus, it had not been put into practical use in coating military uniforms and equipment. To overcome this problem, Baek’s research team designed a functional polymer and mixed it with a detoxification catalyst to develop a detoxification technology that can be processed into films and fibers while maintaining its properties. The research team developed a new functional polymeric support that improves processability while maintaining the high reactivity of the previously developed nanometer-level zirconium (Zr)-based detoxification catalyst, and used it to make a mixed compound that can be used as a detoxification catalyst. It was confirmed to be practically applicable in a detoxification performance test using an actual chemical weapon, the nerve agent soman (GD), on military uniforms and equipment coated with the compound. Dr. Baek of KIST said, “What is different about this compound is that it can remove the toxicity of chemical weapons easily and coat large areas quickly using a simple spray process rather than the conventional electrospinning method”, and that “It is expected that the spray coating can be applied to military uniforms and equipment to prevent contamination and be used to remove toxic agents from equipment, protecting the lives of soldiers and civilians from highly toxic chemical agents.” This study was conducted with the support of the K-DARPA project of KIST and in cooperation with KIST’s Department of National Security, Disaster and Safety Technology. The results of the study have been published online in the latest issue of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (IF: 10.383, JCR Top 14.05%). [Fig. 1] Schematic diagram of the strategy for the development of coating materials using the functional polymeric support and nano-detoxification catalyst and the decomposition of chemical agents [Fig. 2] Detoxification catalyst powder developed by KIST researchers (left) and a glass substrate coated with the detoxification catalyst (right)