Research uncovers new functions of carbon nanomaterials... Recipient of the ECS Nanocarbons Division SES Research Young Investigator Award
Carbon, long regarded as a "supporting" material that simply helps electricity flow smoothly inside batteries, is now emerging as a "core material" that determines battery performance and safety.
Professor Kyu-Young Park of the Graduate Institute of Ferrous & Eco Materials Technology at POSTECH has recently received the "ECS Nanocarbons Division SES Research Young Investigator Award" from the Electrochemical Society (ECS). Since the award was established in 2007, this marks the first time a Korean researcher has received it.
ECS is a leading international academic society in the fields of electrochemistry and solid-state science, sharing the latest research achievements in energy, materials, and the environment through its spring and fall meetings each year. The Nanocarbons Division SES Research Young Investigator Award is presented to researchers aged 38 or under who have achieved outstanding results in the field of carbon nanomaterials, and is a prestigious award given to only one researcher every two years.
Professor Park demonstrated that carbon nanomaterials can do far more than simply enhance conductivity — they can also control the structural changes in electrodes and the unstable chemical reactions that occur during battery charge and discharge cycles, thereby improving battery lifespan and safety. ECS commended Professor Park not only for identifying these new functions of carbon nanomaterials, but also for translating the findings into practical battery manufacturing technology, contributing to the advancement of next-generation rechargeable battery electrode technology.
In particular, this research presented a new direction for electrode design that views carbon not as a simple additive, but as a core material capable of simultaneously improving a battery's energy storage capacity, output performance, lifespan, and safety. Building on these findings, Professor Park's research team continues to develop high-capacity electrodes that can store more energy, highly durable electrodes that maintain performance over extended periods, and next-generation battery technologies with improved thermal stability.
"This award is thanks to the efforts of the students and fellow researchers I have worked with," Professor Park said. "I will continue to uncover new functions of carbon materials and translate them into practical battery manufacturing technology, advancing research that improves the performance and safety of next-generation rechargeable batteries."
Meanwhile, the award ceremony was held on May 26 at the 249th ECS Meeting in Seattle, USA, where Professor Park, as the recipient of the Young Investigator Award, delivered an award lecture titled "Redefining the Function of Carbon for Next-Generation Rechargeable Electrode Design."