Gihan Kwon

Brookhaven National Laboratory

National Synchrotron Light Source II
Bldg. 741
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-6132
gkwon@bnl.gov

Expertise | Research | Education | Publications | Highlights

Expertise

• Analysis of the structure and electronic state of solar fuel catalysts (amorphous thin film, molecules) on electrode surface using X-ray scattering (PDF) and spectroscopic techniques (RXES, RIXS, XAS). 
• Development of a python baseed PDF (pair distribution function) codes (experimental data and modeling) for amorphous material and moelcules.
• Development of experimental tools 
  • In-situ electrochemical cell for amorphous thin film and molecules 
  • DRIFTS (diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy) setup for FTIR, XRD (X-ray diffraction), and PDF measurement.
  • Pump-probe PDF measurement

Research Activities

• A structural and electronic information analysis: Solar fuel and heterogeneous catalysts by PDF, RXES, RIXS, and XAS. 
• Developing in-situ PDF electrochemical cell for solar fuel catalysts: Amorphous thin film and molecular catalysts.
• Developing of in-situ heterogeneous chemical reaction cell (XRD/PDF/FTIR) for ME-PSD time-resolved (tr)-DRIFTS.

Education

• Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, AL, USA.
• Postdoctoral associate with Prof. Ulrich Heiz at Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany.
• Postdoctoral associate with Dr. David Tiede at Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University, IL, USA.

Selected Publications

• Kwon G, Kisslinger K, Hwang S, et al (2023) Multielectrode electrochemical cell for in situ structural characterization of amorphous thin-film catalysts using high-energy X-ray scattering. Journal of Applied Crystallography 56:1392–1402. https://doi.org/10.1107/s1600576723006933
• Kwon G, Chang SH, Heo JE, et al (2021) Experimental Verification of Ir 5d Orbital States and Atomic Structures in Highly Active Amorphous Iridium Oxide Catalysts. ACS Catalysis 11:10084–10094. https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.1c00818
• Kwak H, Han D, Lyoo J, et al (2021) New Cost-Effective Halide Solid Electrolytes for All-Solid-State Batteries: Mechanochemically Prepared Fe3+-Substituted Li2ZrCl6. Advanced Energy Materials 11:. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202003190
• Kwon G, Cho Y-H, Kim K-B, et al (2019) Microfluidic electrochemical cell for in situ structural characterization of amorphous thin-film catalysts using high-energy X-ray scattering. Journal of Synchrotron Radiation 26:1600–1611. https://doi.org/10.1107/s1600577519007240
• Kwon G, Jang H, Lee J-S, et al (2018) Resolution of Electronic and Structural Factors Underlying Oxygen-Evolving Performance in Amorphous Cobalt Oxide Catalysts. Journal of the American Chemical Society 140:10710–10720. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.8b02719
• Yang KR, Matula AJ, Kwon G, et al (2016) Solution Structures of Highly Active Molecular Ir Water-Oxidation Catalysts from Density Functional Theory Combined with High-Energy X-ray Scattering and EXAFS Spectroscopy. Journal of the American Chemical Society 138:5511–5514. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.6b01750

Research Highlights

• S. Li, Z. Shadike, G. Kwon, X.-Q. Yang, J. H. Lee, S. Hwang, Asymmetric Reaction Pathways of Conversion-Type Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries. Chem. Mater., 33(10), 3515-3523 (2021). Cover article, BNL feature stories “Tracking Pileups on Battery Charging Route to Drive Performance”, https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=218936.
• H. Kwak, D. Han, J. Lyoo, J. Park, S. H. Jung, Y. Han, G. Kwon, H. Kim, S.-T. Hong, K.-W. Nam, and Y. S. Jung, New Cost-effective Halide Solid Electrolytes for All-Solid-State Batteries: Mechanochemically Prepared Fe3+-substituted Li2ZrCl6, Adv. Energy Mater., 11(12), 2003190 (2021). Inside front cover article, DOE Science Highlight article
• G. Kwon, H. Jang, J.-S. Lee, A. Mane, S. Soltau, L. Utschig, A. B. F. Martinson, D. M. Tiede, H, Kim, and J. Kim, “Resolution of Electronic and Structural Factors Underlying Oxygen-Evolution Performance in Amorphous Cobalt Oxide Catalysts”, Submitted to J. Am. Chem. Soc. 140, 10710(2018). Highlights “Scientists take X-ray aim in effort to discover new fuel catalyst”, https://www.anl.gov/article/scientists-take-xray-aim-in-effort-to-discover-new-fuel-catalyst.
• B. Rudshteyn, K. L. Materna, N. T. La Porte, K. J. Fisher, K. R. Yang, S. Hedstrom, J. F. Martinez, G. Kwon, J. Hong, D. M. Tiede,3 L. X. Chen,  M. R. Wasielewski, R. H. Crabtree, G. W. Brudvig, V. S. Batista, ” The pyridine alkoxide ligand works for water oxidation catalysts both in theory and in practice”, 2017 EFRC-Hub-CMS PI meeting – Team science finalists, July 24, 2017, Washington D. C.
• D. Tiede, G. Kwon, A. Martinson, K. Mulfort, L. Utschig, O. Poluektov, L. Chen, “Resolving Structures In-Situ for Solar-Driven Water-Oxidation Catalysts Using High Energy X-ray Scattering” 38^th DOE Solar Photochemistry PI’s Meeting, Gaithersburg, MD, June 6-9, 2016. Highlighted for the best work.