• 2025~ Assistant Professor, MSE, KAIST

At the device level, I have expertise in designing composite materials with complex percolation pathways, as well as analyzing their mechanical and electrical responses under deformation. At the molecular level, I have designed inorganic molecular electrolytes and employed various analytical methods to investigate their ion dynamics. These areas of expertise provide unique and crucial perspectives for addressing the fundamental challenges in ion-tronics and solid-state battery systems.

• 2021~2025 Postdoc. Chemistry, University of Waterloo (Prof. Linda F. Nazar)

My research experience in polymer ion conductors and metal halide semiconductors has enabled me to expand my expertise toward developing superionic conductors (solid-state electrolytes), particularly those composed of metal halides and metal oxyhalides. During this period, I proposed a new molecular structure for an oxychloride-based inorganic ionic conductor that exhibits unprecedented viscoplasticity. Interestingly, we discovered that its unique mechanical behavior originates from a one-dimensional framework that allows reorientational motion similar to that of polymers. This new class of materials could provide an ultimate solution to one of the fundamental challenges in solid-state battery systems—the unreliable solid–solid interfacial contact. Subsequent in-depth studies are conducted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the material’s exceptionally high ionic conductivity and to establish feasible synthesis pathways. 

A facile route to plastic inorganic electrolytes for all-solid state batteries based on molecular design (Energy & Environmental Science, 2025)

• 2020~2021 Postdoc. Chemical engineering, POSTECH (Prof. Yong-Young Noh)

After completing my Ph.D., I became intrigued by charge transport in ionic solids. In particular, I was curious about the advantages and disadvantages of ionic properties when holes are transported in semiconductors. Metal halide perovskite semiconductors and electrochemical transistors emerged as excellent model systems to explore this concept.

Toward high-performance p-type, tin-based perovskite thin film transistors (Applied Physics Letters, 2021)

• 2017~2018 Visiting researcher, Chemical engineering, Stanford (Prof. Zhenan Bao)

During this period, I realized the importance of developing intrinsically stretchable sensor systems to achieve mechanical toughness within a simple device structure, which is essential for the commercialization of such devices. Ion-conducting elastomers were employed as intrinsically stretchable active materials that maintain conductivity under deformation. In ion-conducting polymers, both ion diffusion and strain dissipation originate from molecular rearrangements of polymer chains; therefore, the fundamental motions governing ion transport and mechanical relaxation occur within the same spatial range. As a result, the percolation pathways for ion transport remain unaffected by strain. Furthermore, the frequency-dependent responsivity of ion conductors provides a unique advantage for realizing multimodal sensor systems, and I was the first to propose that relaxation time can serve as a strain-independent parameter. 

Self-healing electronic skin with high fracture strength and toughness (Nature Communications, 2024)

Artificial multimodal receptors based on ion relaxation dynamics (Science, 2020)

• 2015~2020 Graduate research assistant (Ph.D. course), MSE, POSTECH (Prof. Unyong Jeong)

In my early research, I focused on addressing the question: How can electronic devices be made mechanically deformable and stretchable? This work demonstrated new form-factor devices such as electronic skin (e.g., skin-attachable healthcare sensors) and robotic skin. Conductive percolation paths in polymer composites were designed at the macroscale to achieve target performance, and their influence on electrical properties under deformation was systematically investigated. In particular, the origins of viscoelasticity and viscoplasticity were studied and leveraged to realize mechanically adaptive devices. Various functional polymer films were fabricated through solution processes, carefully considering solvent–polymer orthogonality to ensure material integrity. 

Artificial multimodal receptors based on ion relaxation dynamics (Science, 2020)

Block copolymer elastomers for stretchable electronics (Accounts of Chemical Research, 2018)

E-skin tactile sensor matrix pixelated by position-registered conductive microparticles creating pressure-sensitive selectors  (Adv. Funct. Mater. 2018)

Stretchable E-Skin Apexcardiogram Sensor (Advanced Materials 2016)

• 2021 Top 10 nanotechnology, Korea Nanotechnology Research Society

• 2021 Young Scientist Award, IC ME&D, Korea

• 2021 Basic Science Research Program for Postdoctoral Fellowship (3 years), NRF Korea

• 2021 POSTECH Initiative for fostering Unicorn of Research & Innovation PostDoc Fellowship

• 2020 Silver Prize in 26th Humantech Paper Award, Samsung Electronics

• 2017 Go Jun Sik Scholarship, MSE, POSTECH

• 2016 Promising Young Scientist of Korea, The Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST)