Metal Oxide DEsign Laboratory MODEL

"Designing inorganic materials through crystal growth, transformation, and interface engineering"

Welcome to the Metal Oxide DEsign Laboratory (MODEL), led by Seungho Cho. We develop composition- and structure-programmable metal (hydr)oxides by uncovering the fundamental principles governing their formation and evolution.

Our research integrates crystal growth, phase transformation, and rational synthesis to achieve precise control over multicomponent compositions, structures, and interfaces for energy and environmental applications.

Selected Research Highlights

Layered Metal Hydroxides and Oxides

Programmable two-dimensional inorganic frameworks for controlling composition, cation distribution, interlayer chemistry, and post-synthetic transformation.

Multicomponent and Compositionally Complex Materials

Designing complex cation lattices to regulate local atomic environments, cation proximity, and cooperative interactions.

Phase Transformation and Interface Engineering

Using compositionally defined precursors to control phase evolution and construct metal–metal and metal–oxide interfaces.

Catalysis and Energy Conversion

Connecting materials formation, local structure, and interfaces with catalytic activity, selectivity, and reaction pathways.

News & Highlights

April 2026 | Hyunmin and Yoon Seo's paper, "Engineered Metal-Metal Junctions from Layered Double Hydroxide Frameworks for High-Rate Solid Oxide Cells" has been published in Advanced Functional Materials.
April 2026 | Hyoseok's paper, "Diverse Cation Exchange in Layered Titanate Nanostructures for Tailored Catalysis" has been published in Advanced Materials.
December 2025 | Jongkyoung has defended their Ph.D. dissertations. Congratulations!
December 2025 | Miri's paper, "Greenhouse Gas-Driven Room-Temperature Synthesis of Compositionally Complex Nanomaterials via Anion-Cation Arrangement Control" has been published in Nano Letters.
November 2025 | Hyoseok, Wonsik, and Jin Ho's paper, "Energy-Efficient Dual Formate Electrosynthesis via Coupled Formaldehyde Oxidation and CO2 Reduction at Ultra-Low Cell Voltage" has been published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Representative Publications

Diverse Cation Exchange in Layered Titanate Nanostructures for Tailored Catalysis, Advanced Materials (2026)

Post-synthetic cation exchange expands the accessible composition and functionality of layered oxide nanostructures.

Engineered Metal-Metal Junctions from Layered Double Hydroxide Frameworks for High-Rate Solid Oxide Cells, Advanced Functional Materials (2026)

Layered hydroxide frameworks serve as programmable precursors for constructing nanoscale metal–metal junctions.

Coupling Furfural Oxidation for Bias-Free, High-Performance H₂ Production Using Crystalline Silicon Photoelectrodes, Nature Communications (2025)

Selective organic oxidation is integrated with photoelectrochemical hydrogen production to enable bias-free solar fuel generation.

Greenhouse Gas-Driven Room-Temperature Synthesis of Compositionally Complex Nanomaterials via Anion-Cation Arrangement Control, Nano Letters (2025)

Anion–cation arrangement enables solution-based synthesis of compositionally complex inorganic nanomaterials.

Homogeneously Mixed Cu–Co Bimetallic Catalyst Derived from Hydroxy Double Salt for Industrial-Level High-Rate Nitrate-to-Ammonia Electrosynthesis, Journal of the American Chemical Society (2024)

Controlled multimetallic precursor design enables high-rate nitrate-to-ammonia electrosynthesis under industrially relevant conditions.

Enhancing Water Oxidation Catalysis by Controlling Metal Cation Distribution in Layered Double Hydroxides, Advanced Functional Materials (2024)

Controlled cation distribution in layered double hydroxides enables systematic tuning of local metal environments and enhanced water oxidation catalysis.