We focus on the design of advanced materials for activating small molecule transformation reactions that are relevant to renewable energy conversion and commodity chemical production. We design new catalytic materials tailored at the molecular level in a function-oriented manner. Target catalytic materials include heteroatom-doped carbons, atomically dispersed metals, intermetallic compounds, and interstitial compounds. We utilize spectroscopy, microscopy, and theoretical calculations to characterize materials at the atomic level. We explore the reactivity of developed catalysts in a variety of catalytic reactions. Ultimately, we aim to design new catalysts that can break the scaling relationship in catalytic reactions, which may overcome the current limitation of activity and selectivity.

• 2004 Ph.D. Materials Chemistry, KAIST
• 2000 M.S. Chemistry, KAIST
• 1998 B.S. Chemistry, KAIST

• 2023– Professor, Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University
• 2010–2023 Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, UNIST
• 2007–2009 Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Berkeley
• 2004–2007 R&D Staff Member, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology

1. “Renaissance of Chlorine Evolution Reaction: Emerging Theory and Catalytic Materials”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 64, e202417293 (2025).
2. “Importance of Broken Geometric Symmetry of Single-Atom Pt Sites for Efficient Electrocatalysis”, Nat. Commun. 14, 3233 (2023).
3. “Steering Catalytic Selectivity with Atomically Dispersed Metal Electrocatalysts for Renewable Energy Conversion and Commodity Chemical Production”, Acc. Chem. Res. 55, 2672−2684 (2022).
4. “Direct Propylene Epoxidation with Oxygen Using a Photo-Electro-Heterogeneous Catalytic System”. Nat. Catal. 5, 37−44 (2022).
5. “Designing Highly Active Nanoporous Carbon H2O2 Production Electrocatalysts through Active Site Identification”, Chem 7, 3114−3130 (2021).
6. “Atomically Dispersed Pt−N4 Sites as Efficient and Selective Electrocatalysts for the Chlorine Evolution Reaction”, Nat. Commun. 11, 412 (2020).