Advanced Materials

Development of Stevia-PVA Hydrogel-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator Technology

- Prof. Jong-Soo Lee’s team realizes a “hybrid photosensor” combining quantum dots and two-dimensional semiconductors - Proposes a low-cost, large-area platform to replace expensive conventional sensors; successfully fabricates a 32×32 pixel image sensor array - Published in the world-leading materials science journal Advanced Materials

A novel computational approach reveals an oxygen vacancy-mediated synthesis mechanism, overcoming longstanding limits in atomic-level structural control

- Professor Jiwoong Yang’s team has developed a quantum-dot-based “circularly polarized light” sensor covering ultraviolet to infrared spectrum. - Breakthrough design introduces chiral structures into charge transport pathways, overcoming material and wavelength limitations of conventional optical sensors. - Published in Advanced Materials, a top-tier international journal in the field of materials science.

Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a much more efficient way to produce ethylamine - a crucial component for dyes, pharmaceuticals, and more. It all starts with a catalyst.

- Joint research team from DGIST, KAIST, POSTECH, Kyung Hee University, and Kongju National University develops a next-generation, eco-friendly heating and cooling technology that operates without electricity - The research result was selected as the cover study in ‘Advanced Materials’

Researchers from The University of Osaka and Daikin Industries, Ltd. have discovered a key metric, "electrolyte lithium-ion chemical potential," that governs lithium-ion battery performance. This quantitative indicator shows that efficient charging occurs when lithium ions are sufficiently “unstable” in the electrolyte. This breakthrough replaces trial-and-error methods with a rational design approach, enabling faster development of safer, higher-performance batteries for applications like EVs and renewable energy storage.

Researchers led by Prof. Kevin C.-W. Wu at National Taiwan University and Prof. Yusuke Yamauchi at Nagoya University have successfully developed a rapid and scalable evaporation-induced method to create continuous, uniform thin films of mesoporous amorphous metal-organic frameworks (aMOFs).

- Proposed the world’s first strategy to precisely control triboelectric polarity through polymer structure design, drawing attention to it as a next-generation energy-harvesting material. - Developed an ion-anchored polymer electrolyte that overcomes the limitations of conventional ionic liquids, achieving both output stability and controlled polarity. - Research findings published in Advanced Materials, a world-renowned journal in the field of material science.

- Introducing “magnetic properties” into platinum-based alloys, dramatically improving oxygen reduction reaction performance and durability - Exceeding the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2025 targets–expected to contribute to the commercialization of next-generation eco-friendly hydrogen energy

Researchers from The University of Osaka have developed a polymeric adhesion system by introducing reversible bonds at the adhesion interface based on the formation and dissociation of host–guest complexes. The adhesive can be decomposed on demand using temperature or chemicals and reused multiple times. Visualization of the interface using neutrons revealed the mechanism underlying repeatable sticking and peeling. This technology can be used for sustainable material applications.

- Development of a highly stretchable color conversion layer through direct cross-linking between eco-friendly quantum dots and stretchable polymers - Research findings published in Advanced Materials, a top-tier international journal in the field of materials science

Operando X-ray spectroscopy is a powerful tool for probing electrocatalyst dynamics—but intense X-ray exposure can distort structural insights. This study reveals flux- and dose-dependent artifact thresholds and proposes practical protocols to ensure accurate, artifact-free measurements.

Researchers at Tohoku University found a method to break down specific contaminants in water in order to help replenish one of our most precious resources: fresh water.

A research team led by the Singapore University of Technology and Design, in collaboration with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, National University of Singapore, University of Southern Denmark, and University of Birmingham, demonstrates a novel way to control the colour of quantum light at room temperature, unlocking new applications in quantum communication and photonics.

- DGIST Professor Sohee Kim’s research team has developed the world’s first three-dimensional neural electrode that deforms smoothly using soft actuation technology. - It is expected to be used in various next-generation soft bioelectronic devices, including electroceuticals for peripheral nerve treatment

A sprinkling of magnetic nanoparticles is just enough to power up catalysts, so they can make hydrogen peroxide production more efficient.

- DGIST, KAIST, and Korea University collaborated to develop a three-dimensional device with reversible heating/cooling based on the thermal radiation phenomenon - Research published as a cover article in Advanced Materials

Unearthing new LEDs, solar cells, and photodetectors requires extensive knowledge surrounding the optical properties of materials. Calculating these takes time and resources. Yet researchers from Tohoku University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have unveiled a new AI tool that can accurately, and crucially much faster than quantum simulations, for predicting optical properties.

How can we make certain electrochemical reactions faster and more efficient? Researchers at Tohoku University investigated the use of Co X-ides for the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of quinoline.

Nanocellular graphene, a specialized form of the revolutionary material graphene, is coveted for its ability to improve the performance of electronic devices, energy devices and sensors. But its development has been stymied by cracks that appear during the manufacturing process. Now, researchers have discovered a means to achieve crack-free, robust NCG - something they successfully put to use in a sodium battery.

Magnetic nanorobots delivering nerve cells to targeted tissues could potentially be used to repair damaged brain tissue, as well as other organs.

- DGIST Prof. Park Jin-hee and her team detected unknown sample components by analyzing color change patterns and developed a technology that allows analyzing concentrated amounts through a mobile phone camera - Expected to secure source technologies and open new avenues in the environmental sensor field

Researchers from SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), at Osaka University developed an optical sensor consisting of carbon nanotube photodetectors and organic transistors formed on an ultrathin, flexible polymer film. A wireless system reads the images from the sensor. Experiments showed the sensor has high sensitivity, a wide bandwidth, and robustness to extreme deformation such as bending and crumpling. This sensor has high potential for use in applications such as non-destructive imaging, non-sampling liquid quality evaluation, wearable devices, and soft robotics.

Systematic copper doping boosts all-solar utilization in tungstic acid nanocrystals.

Tohoku University researchers have engineered a new material that overcomes some of the barriers to furthering phase change memory – a potentially revolutionary form of data storage that is still in its infancy. Using sputtering, they created a 2D Van Der Waals Chalcogenide that possesses an ultra-low melting point.

Finding lost-cost and efficient means of accelerating the oxygen evolution reaction could lead to the proliferation of water-splitting electrolyzes. Rather than adopting a time-consuming trial and error approach, an international research group has used theoretical predictions to identify and then successfully fabricate a new electrocatalyst.

- Research teams led by Professor Hongsoo Choi and Professor Yongseok Oh from DGIST joined the research team led by Dr. Jongcheol Rah from Korea Brain Research Institute to develop the technology for delivering a microrobot to a target point of a hippocampus in an in-vitro environment, connecting neural networks, and measuring neural signals - The research findings are expected to contribute to neural network research and the verification and analysis of cell therapy products

Controlling a material’s thermal conductivity can help insulate our homes, improve the performance of electronic devices, conserve power consumption in cars, and generate greater power efficiency. Now, a group of researchers has unveiled a novel mechanism that leads to further suppression of thermal conductivity in thermoelectric materials, something that will help develop new guidelines for producing high-performance thermoelectric materials.

- DGIST Professor Park Chi-Young's team developed photothermal porous polymer capable of ultra-fast adsorption and removal of phenolic microplastics and VOC contaminants in water - Showing the potential as a next-generation water purification material made of inexpensive raw materials, and ultra-high removal efficiency through solar-based purification process - Selected as the cover paper for the 50th edition of ‘Advanced Materials,’ the most prestigious academic journal in the field of materials in 2022