Franklin Kim

Franklin Kim Associate professor ShanghaiTech University School of Physical Science and Technology Email: fkim@shanghaitech.edu.cn Phone: +86-21-2068-5245 Group website:https://sites.google.com/site/fkimgroup/home

Professional Experience

• Associate professor, ShanghaiTech University, School of Physical Science and Technology (2017~)

• Program specific associate professor, Kyoto University, Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (2015~2017)

• iCeMS Kyoto Fellow/Program specific assistant professor, Kyoto University, Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (2011~2015)

• Postdoctoral researcher, Northwestern University, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering (Prof. Jiaxing Huang) (2007~2010)

• Postdoctoral researcher, University of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Bioengineering (Prof. Luke P. Lee) (2005~2007)

Educational Background

• Ph. D. in Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley (Advisor: Prof. Peidong Yang) (2005)

• B.S. in Chemistry, Seoul National University (1999)

A wide range of novel nanomaterials have been developed during the past decades. However, to fully utilize the interesting and useful properties of these materials, it is necessary to integrate the tiny particles into a hierarchical structure with good control and reproducibility. In our group, we focus on using various interfacial assembly techniques to assemble the nanomaterials into functional structures, with particular interest in application for energy storage and catalysis. Below are a few examples of our work.

1. Langmuir-Blodgett assembly of nanoparticles into ultra-thin films
The recent surge in Internet of things (IoT) has brought significant need in development of sensors, displays, actuators, and other related electronics with high sensitivity, responsivity, and energy efficiency. For the fabrication of compact, flexible, and transparent devices, all of which have become a common trend for state-of-the-art devices, it is generally required to fabricate the active component, often nanomaterials, into a form of a thin film. Here, we utilize the Langmuir-Blodgett technique to create ultrathin films composed of a single layer or few layers of nanomaterials.

2. In-situ studies on the degradation of battery electrode nanostructures
  Understanding the mechanism of battery electrode degradation is crucial for developing materials with higher performance. We utilize various in-situ/operando techniques including XRD, Raman, and differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy (DEMS) to probe the changes in the nanostructure of the electrode materials and to identify key parameters that influence the cycle stability of the battery.

3. Preparation of porous graphene-based frameworks through diffusion driven layer-by-layer assembly
The diffusion driven layer-by-layer (dd-LbL) assembly technique developed in our group is a simple yet versatile process which can be used to construct graphene oxide (GO) into three-dimensional porous frameworks with good stability. We use the such prepared framework as a starting material for creating a wide range of graphene-based composites with potential applications in energy storage and electrocatalysis. At the same time, we are further developing the dd-LbL assembly technique into a generally used tool for the assembly of nanomaterials, not limited to graphene oxide nanosheets.

Selected recent publications