(4gs) Applying for a Post-Doctoral Position in the Development of CO2 Conversion Catalysts

I have been conducted research on carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) under the guidance of professor Chang Seop Hong at Korea University during my doctoral and post-doctoral period.

Global warming is a major worldwide issue, and to address it, various alternative solutions to fossil fuels, such as fuel cells, electrochemical cells, biodiesel, etc., are being researched. However, these alternatives are still in the early stages of commercialization. Meanwhile, the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere continues to rise, necessitating direct removal to solve the global warming. Most of CO₂ is generated through the combustion of fossil fuels, and in order to effectively remove it, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology is being developed. Research is also underway on liquid absorbents or solid adsorbents that can be used in this technology. Among various solid adsorbents, MOFs, formed through coordination bonding between metal ions and organic ligands, are materials that can effectively remove CO₂ by adjusting pore size and internal characteristics. Especially, the diamine-Mg₂(dobpdc) framework is well-known for its unique CO₂ adsorption mechanism, making it effectively efficient in CO₂ removal. However, in realistic flue gas conditions, the diamine-Mg₂(dobpdc) showed very low recyclability due to the continuous loss of diamine through substitution caused by water vapor. Therefore, it should be addressed to enhance the reusability of diamine-Mg₂(dobpdc) under humid conditions for practical application in flue gas capture.

I have employed various strategies to enhance the reusability of diamine-Mg₂(dobpdc) in simulated flue gas containing water vapor. Specifically, methods such as 1) polyamine functionalization, 2) hydrophobic silane coating, 3) diamine modification through hydrophobic epoxide reaction, and 4) diamine modification through hydrophobic carbonate reaction proved to be effective strategies. These approaches not only enabled selective CO₂ capture in humid environments but also enhanced reusability.

Moreover, to extend my research scope, I have moved to a post-doctoral position at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. I am focusing not only on the development of novel CO₂ adsorbents for direct air capture but also on the development of new catalysts for CO₂ to MeOH production and the heterogenization of homogeneous catalysts.

My ultimate goal is the development of dual-functional materials that can adsorb atmospheric CO₂ and directly convert it into useful chemicals.