Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) Principal Researcher Seung-Yeol Jeong (Nano Convergence Research Center) and Principal Researcher Hae-Young Choi (Next Generation Battery Research Center) received the Presidential Citation and the Minister of Science and ICT Award, respectively, in recognition of their contributions to the development of electric materials and secondary battery technology on the occasion of the 60th Invention Day.

Senior Researcher Jeong Seung-yeol received a Presidential Citation in recognition of his research achievements in developing a technology to manufacture cathode materials, conductive materials, and current collectors using graphene/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that can significantly increase the capacity of secondary batteries.

Silicon, which is attracting attention as a next-generation cathode material, has had difficulties in application to existing batteries due to volume expansion issues, but Researcher Jeong has succeeded in increasing electrochemical stability and greatly improving energy density by developing a one-step process for composites with reduced graphene for the first time in the world.

In addition, we developed a technology to manufacture high-performance secondary battery electrodes with high capacity, long life, and high stability electrochemical characteristics by applying CNTs as a conductive material. The technology was conducted through joint research with the KERI Battery Materials and Process Research Center, and is about to be transferred to a related company for commercialization. The current technology transfer contract performance amounts to a total of 2.64 billion won.

Chief Researcher Choi Hae-young received the Minister of Science and Technology Award in recognition of his contribution to developing core technologies for lithium-sulfur batteries and increasing their industrialization potential.

Researcher Choi developed a technology that simultaneously improves energy density and solves the problem of reduced lifespan within the electrode by compositely combining CNTs and sulfur into a three-dimensional structure.

This has significantly advanced the possibility of commercializing lightweight, long-lasting next-generation lithium-sulfur batteries, and is expected to be applied to various future mobility systems, including urban air mobility (UAM).

KERI is a government-funded research institute under the National Research Council of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science and ICT, and continuously conducts research for technological innovation in the fields of electrical materials and energy.

With this award as an opportunity, KERI plans to further strengthen the development of future battery technologies such as carbon nanomaterials, secondary batteries, and lithium-sulfur batteries, and to promote commercialization of technologies in cooperation with the industry, thereby contributing to strengthening the nation’s energy technology competitiveness.

It is expected that the results of this research will further increase the applicability to next-generation industries such as electric vehicles, aviation mobility, and smart energy systems.