• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.263-270
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• 2009

Carbon felt surface was modified by heat or acid treatment in order to use for the electrode of a redox-flow battery. Polymers on the surface of carbon felt was removed and oxygen-containing functional group was attached after the thermal treatment of carbon felt. Thermal treatment was better for the stability of the carbon structure than the acid treatment. Oxygen-containing functional group on the thermally treated carbon felt at 500$^{\circ}C$ was confirmed by XPS and elementary analysis. BET surface area was increased from nearly zero to 96 $m^2/g$. Thermally treated carbon felt at 500$^{\circ}C$ showed lower activation polarization than the thermally treated carbon felt at 400$^{\circ}C$ and the acid-treated carbon felt in the cyclicvoltammetry and polarization experiments. The thermally treated carbon felts at 400$^{\circ}C$ and 500$^{\circ}C$ and the acid-treated carbon felt was applied for the electrode to prepare vanadium redox flow battery. Voltage efficiencies of charge/discharge were 86.6%, 89.6%, and 96.9% for the thermally treated carbon felts at 400$^{\circ}C$ and 500$^{\circ}C$ and the acid-treated carbon felt, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

Capacity of layered lithium nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide ($LiNi_{1-x-y}Co_xMn_yO_2$) cathode material can increase by raising the charge cut-off voltage above 4.3 V vs. $Li/Li^+$, but it is limited due to anodic instability of conventional electrolyte. We have been screening and evaluating various sulfone-based compounds of dimethyl sulfone (DMS), diethyl sulfone (DES), ethyl methyl sulfone (EMS) as electrolyte additives for high-voltage applications. Here we report improved cycling performance of $LiNi_{0.5}Co_{0.2}Mn_{0.3}O_2$ cathode by the use of dimethyl sulfone (DMS) additive under an aggressive charge condition of 4.6 V, compared to that in conventional electrolyte, and cathode-electrolyte interfacial reaction behavior. The cathode with DMS delivered discharge capacities of $198-173mAhg^{-1}$ over 50 cycles and capacity retention of 84%. Surface analysis results indicate that DMS induces to form a surface protective film at the cathode and inhibit metal-dissolution, which is correlated to improved high-voltage cycling performance.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2016

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) using the electrolytes containing various vanadium ions in sulfuric acid as supporting solution are one of the energy storage devices in alternatively charging and discharging operation modes. The positive electrolyte contains $V^{5+}/V^{4+}$ and the negative electrolyte $V^{2+}/V^{3+}$ depending on the operation mode. To prevent the mixing of two solutions, proton exchange membranes are mainly used in VRFBs. Nafion 117 could be the most promising candidate due to the strong oxidative property of $V^{5+}$ ion, but causes high crossover of electroactive species to result in a decrease in coulombic efficiency. In this study, the composite membranes using Nafion ionomer and porous polyethylene substrate were prepared to keep good chemical stability and to decrease the cost of membranes, and were compared to the properties and performance of the commercially available electrolyte membrane, Nafion 117. As a result, the water uptake and ionic conductivity of the composite membranes increased as the thickness of the composite membranes increased, but those of Nafion 117 slightly decreased. The permeability of vanadium ions for the composite membranes significantly decreased compared to that for Nafion 117. In a single cell test for the composite membranes, the voltage efficiency decreased and the coulombic efficiency increased, finally resulting in the similar energy efficiency. In conclusion, the less cost of the composite membranes by decreasing 6.4 wt.% of the amount of perfluorinated sulfonic acid polymer due to the introduction of porous substrate and lower vanadium ion permeability to decrease self-discharge were achieved than Nafion 117.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.238-244
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• 2017

Plasma ion nitriding has been widely used in various industries to improve the mechanical properties of materials, especially stainless steels by increasing the surface hardness. It has the particular advantages of less distortion compared to that in the case of hardening of steel, gas nitriding, and carburizing; in addition, it allows treatment at low-temperatures, and results in a high surface hardness and improved corrosion resistance. Many researchers have demonstrated that the plasma ion nitriding process should be carried out at temperatures of below $450^{\circ}C$ to improve corrosion resistance via the formation of the expanded austenite phase(S-phase). Most experimentals studied to date have been carried out in chloride solutions like HCl or NaCl. However, the electrochemical characteristics for the chloride solutions and natural seawater differ. Hence, in this work, plasma ion nitriding of 304 stainless steels was performed at various temperatures, and the electrochemical characteristics corresponding to the different process temperatures were analyzed for the samples in natural seawater. Finally the optimum plasma ion nitriding temperature that resulted in the highest corrosion resistance was determined.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.590-592
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• 2010

Li-Mn spinel ($LiMn_2O_4$) is prepared by a hydrothermal process with K-Birnessite ($KMnO_4{\cdot}yH_2O$) as a precursor. The K-Birnessite obtained via a hydrothermal process with potassium permanganate [$KMnO_4$] and urea [$CO(NH_2)_2$] as starting materials are converted to Li-Mn spinel nanoparticles reacting with LiOH. The molar ratio of LiOH/K-Birnessite is adjusted in order to find the effect of the ratio on the structural, morphological and electrochemical performances of the Li-Mn spinel. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and thermogravimetry (TG) are used to investigate the crystal structure and morphology of the samples. Galvanostatic charge and discharge are carried out to measure the capacity and rate capability of the Li-Mn spinel. The capacity shows a maximum value of $117\;mAhg^{-1}$ when the molar ratio of LiOH/K-Birnessite is 0.8 and decreases with the increase of the ratio. However the rate capability is improved with the increase of the ratio due to the reduction of the particle size.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.72-72
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• 2012

Lithium rechargeable batteries have been widely used as key power sources for portable devices for the last couple of decades. Their high energy density and power have allowed the proliferation of ever more complex portable devices such as cellular phones, laptops and PDA's. For larger scale applications, such as batteries in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) or power tools, higher standards of the battery, especially in term of the rate (power) capability and energy density, are required. In PHEV, the materials in the rechargeable battery must be able to charge and discharge (power capability) with sufficient speed to take advantage of regenerative braking and give the desirable power to accelerate the car. The driving mileage of the electric car is simply a function of the energy density of the batteries. Since the successful launch of recent Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride)-based HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) in the market, there has been intense demand for the high power-capable Li battery with higher energy density and reduced cost to make HEV vehicles more efficient and reduce emissions. However, current Li rechargeable battery technology has to improve significantly to meet the requirements for HEV applications not to mention PHEV. In an effort to design and develop an advanced electrode material with high power and energy for Li rechargeable batteries, we approached to this in two different length scales - Atomic and Nano engineering of materials. In the atomic design of electrode materials, we have combined theoretical investigation using ab initio calculations with experimental realization. Based on fundamental understanding on Li diffusion, polaronic conduction, operating potential, electronic structure and atomic bonding nature of electrode materials by theoretical calculations, we could identify and define the problems of existing electrode materials, suggest possible strategy and experimentally improve the electrochemical property. This approach often leads to a design of completely new compounds with new crystal structures. In this seminar, I will talk about two examples of electrode material study under this approach; $LiNi_{0.5}Mn_{0.5}O_2$ based layered materials and olivine based multi-component systems. In the other scale of approach; nano engineering; the morphology of electrode materials are controlled in nano scales to explore new electrochemical properties arising from the limited length scales and nano scale electrode architecture. Power, energy and cycle stability are demonstrated to be sensitively affected by electrode architecture in nano scales. This part of story will be only given summarized in the talk.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.491-495
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• 2005

Vanadium pentoxide xerogels with a doping ratio of $Al/V_2O_5$ ranging from 0.01 to 0.05 were synthesized by doping Al into $V_2O_5$ xerogel via the sol-gel process. By using the synthesized $Al_xV_2O_5$, the $Li/Al_xV_2O_5$ cells were assembled to investigate the chemical and electrochemical properties. Surface morphology of the $Al_xV_2O_5$ xerogel showed an anisotropic corrugated sheet-like matrix, and the interlayer distance was about $11.5{\AA}$. The IR spectra of the $Al_xV_2O_5$ revealed that the doped Al was coordinated to the vanadyl group in $V_2O_5$. The $Al_xV_2O_5$ xerogels showed enhanced reversibility and energy density compared with the $V_2O_5$ xerogel. The specific capacity of the $Al_{0.05}V_2O_5$ xerogel was more than 200 mAh/g at 10 mA/g discharge rate, and cycle efficiency was about 90% after the 31st cycling test between 1.9 V and 3.9 V.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.339-344
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• 2001

An all solid-state thin film supercapacitor (TFSC) with Co$_3$O$_4$/LiPON/Co$_3$O$_4$ structure was fabricated on Pt/Ti/Si substrate using Co$_3$O$_4$ thin film electrode. Each Co$_3$O$_4$ film was grown by reactive dc reactive magnetron sputtering with increasing $O_2$/[Ar+O$_2$] ratio. Amorphous LiPON electrolyte film was deposited on Co$_3$O$_4$/Pt/Ti/Si in pure nitrogen ambient by using reactive rf magnetron sputtering. The electrochemical behavior of the Co$_3$O$_4$/LiPON/Co$_3$O$_4$ multi-layer structures exhibits a behavior of a bulk-type supercapacitor, even though much lower capacity (from 5 to 25 mF/$\textrm{cm}^2$-$\mu\textrm{m}$) than that of the bulk one. It was found that the TFSC showed a fairly constant discharge capacity with a constant current of 50 $\mu\textrm{A}/\textrm{cm}^2$ at the cut-off voltage 0-2V during 400 cycles. It is shown that the electrochemical behavior of the Co$_3$O$_4$/LiPON/Co$_3$O$_4$ TFSC is dependent upon the sputtering gas ratio. The capacity dependency of electrode films on different gas ratios was explained by different structural, electrical, and surfacical properties.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.718-724
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• 2018

In this study, the $Ni_{0.9}Co_{0.05}Ti_{0.05}(OH)_2$ precursor was prepared by the concentration gradient co-precipitation method. In order to overcome the structural change due to oxygen desorption in the cathode active material with high nickel content, the physical and electrochemical analysis of the cathode active material according to the calcination temperature were investigated. Physical properties of $Li_{1.05}Ni_{0.9}Co_{0.05}Ti_{0.05}O_2$ were analyzed by FE-SEM, XRD and TGA. The electrochemical performance of the coin cell using a cathode active material and $LiPF_6$(EC:EMC=1:2 vol%) electrolyte was evaluated by the initial charge/discharge efficiency, cycle retention, and rate capabilities. As a result, the initial capacity and initial efficiency of cathode materials were excellent with 244.5~247.9 mAh/g and 84.2~85.8% at the calcination temperature range of $750{\sim}760^{\circ}C$. Also, the capacity retention exhibited high stability of 97.8~99.1% after 50cycles.

• Clean Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.171-175
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• 2008

The effect of the addition of $Al^{3+}$ dopant on the electrochemical characteristics of $Li_{4}Ti_{5}O_{12}$ was investigated. $Li_{4}Ti_{5}O_{12}$ is known as a 2ero-strain material, and $Li_{3.95}Al_{0.15}Ti_{4.9}O_{12}$ has been manufactured by solid-state reaction with high energy ball milling (HEBM). The samples were heated at 800, 900 and $1000^{\circ}C$ in electric furnace. The structural and surface structures were measured by XRD (X-ray diffraction) and SEM (scanning electron microscopy). Cut-off voltage of charge/discharge cycles was $1.0{\sim}3.0 V$ to investigate reversible capacity, cycle stability and plateau voltage. The reversible capacity of $Li_{3.95}Al_{0.15}Ti_{4.9}O_{12}$ was 138 mAh/g.