Professor Young soo Yoon and Ph.D. candidate Ha Eun Kang of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering published their research on the process of developing new materials for high-Ni secondary batteries in a global journal

Presenting a solid electrolyte source technology that will accelerate the commercialization of high-Ni all-solid-state batteries

▲Department of Materials Science and Engineering,  Ph.D. cource Ha Eun Kang 

Haeun Kang, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Gachon University (Advisor: Prof. Young-Soo Yoon, Energy Materials Laboratory · EML), has published research results on the development of innovative materials to enhance the performance of high-Ni cathodes for the realization of ultra-high-capacity secondary batteries in an international journal.

The research article, titled “Recent Progress in Tailoring Ni-Rich Layered Oxides via Coating and Doping Strategies for Enhanced Lithium-Ion Battery Performance”, was recently accepted for publication in Applied Surface Science Advances, a premier international journal in the fields of energy and materials (ranked in the top 4.3% of JCR 2024).

This study has been recognized for its engineering significance in presenting a new direction for ensuring both capacity retention and structural stability in Ni-rich cathode materials, compared to many previously reported approaches. In particular, while most existing studies have focused on simple doping or composite formation, this work distinguishes itself by applying coating technology—a representative technique in advanced materials—thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional methods and securing distinct technological advantage. This gives the research profound academic and technological implications.

▲Illustrative schematic of the structure of ultra-stable high-Ni cathode particles enabled by coating technology 

Until now, Ni-rich cathode materials have been considered essential for realizing next-generation ultra-high-capacity secondary batteries. However, they have long suffered from the inherent limitation  of being unable to simultaneously resolve issues of capacity retention and stability. The research team elucidated that by combining lattice doping with surface coating technology, not only can the battery’s capacity be enhanced, but its long-term stability can also be secured. This breakthrough is regarded as a new pathway to overcoming the critical challenges faced by both academia and industry.

This achievement was made just one year after Ph.D. candidate Haeun Kang returned from research training in the United States, supported by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.

Professor Young-Soo Yoon stated, “This research carries significance not only in terms of academic impact but also in verifying its industrial applicability. We will continue to advance this into a core technology that can accelerate the commercialization of ultra-high-capacity Ni-rich cathode materials with maximized stability.”

Professor Young Soo Yoon’s research team from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering publishes paper on solid electrolyte technology for all-solid-state batteries 

Presentation of a Core Solid Electrolyte Technology to Accelerate the Commercialization of All-Solid-State Batteries 

▲Haeun Kang, Ph.D. candidate, Minwook Kim, and Jihyun Lee, M.S. candidates in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering 

(from left)  

Professor Young-Soo Yoon’s research team from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Gachon University has published their results on the development of solid electrolytes for realizing all-solid-state secondary batteries in the international journal Energy Conversion and Management: X (ranked in the top 3.5% of JCR 2024) on the 11th.

This study was conducted by members of the Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), including Ph.D. candidate Haeun Kang and M.S. candidates Minwook Kim and Jihyun Lee. The team proposed a fundamental technology that not only verifies the practical performance of solid electrolytes but also considers their potential for mass production. In particular, by employing precursor selection strategies to achieve composite formation with active materials and ensure long-term stability, the research successfully demonstrated the industrial applicability of the technology.

▲Schematic illustration of the influence of precursors on solid electrolyte synthesis for all-solid-state secondary batteries

All-solid-state batteries have attracted attention as a next-generation technology capable of overcoming the capacity limitations and stability issues of conventional secondary batteries. However, the commercialization of solid electrolytes has faced technical challenges. Professor Young-Soo Yoon’s team independently developed a precursor design technology that not only enhances ionic conductivity but also enables composite formation with active materials and ensures long-term stability, providing a pathway to address key challenges faced by both academia and industry.

Professor Yoon stated, “This research is significant not only for its academic impact but also for verifying its industrial applicability. We will continue to advance this into a core technology that can accelerate the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries.”

This research was conducted with support from the overseas research training program of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), under the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.

Professor Young-Soo Yoon from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering Achieves 10,000 Citations for Research in Energy Materials, Including Secondary Batteries and Advanced Nuclear Reactor Materials 

▲Professor Young-Soo Yoon of the Energy Materials Laboratory (third from the left in the front row) and graduate students of the laboratory 

Professor Young-Soo Yoon of the Energy Materials Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering at Gachon University, has achieved 10,000 citations in the field of energy materials, including research on secondary batteries and advanced nuclear reactor materials

▲Yearly citation counts of Professor Young-Soo Yoon’s publications

The citation count of Professor Young-Soo Yoon’s publications has been steadily increasing since the first citation in 1997, reaching 771 in 2020, 882 in 2021, 940 in 2022, 959 in 2023, and 1,132 in 2024.

In particular, the rapid rise in citations of SCI papers led by graduate students of the Energy Materials Laboratory (EML) is considered to have made a significant contribution to this achievement.

The most cited paper is “Room Temperature Gas Sensing of Two-Dimensional Titanium Carbide (MXene)”, published in 2017, which has been cited 723 times to date.

Professor Yoon stated, “This achievement is the result of the efforts and collaboration of all members of our laboratory, with the dedicated research of our graduate students playing a particularly important role. Moving forward, we will continue world-class research based on differentiated ideas and contribute to society through practical applications and technology transfer.”

Meanwhile, Professor Yoon’s laboratory has recently been recognized for its research achievements by obtaining a total of four SMART A-grade patents, including methods for manufacturing multilayer-structured nuclear fuel cladding tubes, methods for manufacturing microarray substrates, and devices for manufacturing microarray substrates.

Gachon University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ph.D. course Su Hyeong Kim, announces innovative technology for Ultra-high capacity lithium secondary batteries

▲Department of Materials Science and Engineering,  Ph.D. cource Su Hyeong Kim 

Su Hyeong Kim, Ph.D. course in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Gachon University (Advisor: Young Soo Yoon, Energy Materials Laboratory, EML) presented innovative new anode material technology for Ultra-high capacity lithium secondary batteries in the prestigious international journal in the field of chemical engineering, ‘Chemical Engineering Journal (Impact Factor 15.1, Ranking 3.5%).’