National Research Laboratory 2.0 Research Team Identifies Reaction Mechanism for Solar-Powered Lithium-Oxygen Batteries
- 작성처
- Date2026.02.11
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National Research Laboratory 2.0 Research Team Identifies Reaction Mechanism for Solar-Powered Lithium-Oxygen Batteries
An Ewha Womans University research team under the Institute for Multiscale Matter and Systems (IMMS), part of a National Research Laboratory (NRL 2.0) program headed by Professor Dong Ha Kim of the Department of Chemistry & Nanoscience, succeeded in systematically identifying how solar energy governs the internal reactions of lithium-oxygen (Li-O₂) batteries through real-time analysis.
This study, carried out under the NRL 2.0 funding program with the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Education, demonstrated that light can regulate chemical reaction pathways inside batteries through plasmonic nanostructures (a nanomaterial technology in which nanoparticles of metals such as gold absorb light to amplify energy and promote chemical reactions). The research findings were published online on January 29 in Advanced Energy Materials, one of the world’s leading academic journals in the field.
The research team developed a new plasmonic cathode structure (Au@UiO-66-NH₂) by combining gold (Au) nanoparticles inside the UiO-66-NH₂ metal-organic framework (MOF) designed by IMMS Director Professor Hoi Ri Moon. This structure was designed to enable solar energy to be effectively utilized in battery reactions by promoting light absorption and electron transport while maintaining the structural stability and porosity of the metal-organic framework.
Experimental results showed that, unlike conventional batteries, Li-O₂ batteries formed thin-film discharge products (Li₂O₂) under solar irradiation, which decomposed during the charging process with less energy. The battery operated at a very low overpotential of 1.05 V in the first charge/discharge cycle and demonstrated outstanding durability by maintaining stable performance for more than 600 hours with only a small amount of gold.
Significantly, this study represents the first time that IMMS published research findings in a world-class academic journal since it was launched late last year under the NRL 2.0 program. By combining plasmonic effects with MOF-based catalyst design, the study presents a new design strategy for high-efficiency and high-stability solar-powered Li-O₂ batteries, demonstrating the research capabilities and international competitiveness of the NRL 2.0 program.
(from left) Prof. Dong Ha Kim, Prof. Hoi Ri Moon, Prof. Park, Jaehong
This research was carried out with support from the Autonomous Priority Research Institute program at the National Research Foundation of Korea, the NRL 2.0 support program led by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Education, the BrainLink program, and the Basic Science Research Capacity Enhancement program at the Korea Basic Science Institute (National Research Facilities & Equipment Center).