We are mainly interested in designing the shape or internal structure of colloidal particles as well as assembling them into colloidal superstructures with surface functionalzation. Their superstrucrtures can be utilized for various practical applications including photonic (meta-)materials, nanoelectronic devices, porous materials for catalyst or colorimetric sensor, electrodes, or electrolytes of a lithium-ion battery. Mesoporous nanoparticles are also investigated as a smart carrier for drug delivery or adhesives for hydrogels or biological tissues.
Superstructures
Colloidal particles have been used as model system for atomic structures as well as building blocks for photonic crystals. My main research interests are in the synthesis of new colloidal particles and their structures by self-assembly which would be great model system for understanding even more complex biological structures.
Porous nanoparticles
Using colloidal particles or micelles as templates, macro- or mesoporous materials could be prepared which is now investigated as efficient host materials for drug delivery or colorimetric sensor dye. Porous particles were also implemented for new bioadhesives on hydrogels or biological tissues.
Solid electrolytes for battery
Ionic liquid (block co-) polmyers are synthesized and assembled into bicotinuous porous polymer films for solid electrolytes of lithium ion battery.
Biodegrable Polymers
Biodegradable polymers are shaped into nanoparticles or microspheres by emulsion encapsulation and solvent evaporation process
Lipid Nanoparticles for gene delivery
Lipid nanoparticles are prepared by self-assembly for gene delivery such as DNA, mRNA as vaccine systems.
Optical metamaterials
Gold nanospheres are synthesized by chemically etching octahedron gold nanoparticles with polyDADMAC and assembled into clusters or crystals, which can be utilized as metamolecules or metamaterial film, respectively.
Structural Colors
Colloidal crystals or glasses may show angle-dependent or independent structural colors in UV, visible or IR region depending on the interparticle distance or particle diameter.
Research Grant
- Programmable Assembly of Colloidal Superstructure (NRF Korea, 2021-2026)
- Diamond-like colloidal photonic crystals by DNA-mediated self-assembly (NRF Korea, 2017-2022)
- Solid electrolytes for lithium ion battery (NRF Korea, 2018-2023)
- Highly Conformal Adhesive Carrier with Meso-Microstructure for Enhanced Skin Delivery of Effective Components (KHIDI, 2020-2022)
- LG Energy Solution (2022-2024)
- Hyundai Motors (2021)
- CJ Bio (2021-2022)
- Coree Pohang (2021-2022)
(Past)
- Samsung Electronics (2021)
- Theranostic Macromolular Research Center (TMRC) (Korean NRF, 2012-2020)
- Korea-China international collaboration project (Korean NRF, 2018-2020)
- Porous Nanoparticle Bank by Korean NRF (NRF-2014M3A9B8023471, 2014-2019)
- BASF (2013-2019)
- Samsung Research Funding Center for Samsung Electronics (SRFCMA1402-09, 2014-2019)
- Amorepacific (2018-2021)
- LG Chem (2019-2021)