Sooyeon Hwang

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Center for Functional Nanomaterials
Bldg. 735
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-6247
soohwang@bnl.gov

Expertise | Research | Education | Appointments | Highlights

Expertise

• High Resolution Scanning / Transmission Electron Microscopy (S/TEM)
• In-situ / Operando TEM
• Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS)
• Electron X-ray Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDX)

Research Activities

My research aims describing specific mechanisms of electrochemical reactions and degradation of electrode materials using ex-situ and in-situ transmission electron microscopy. Particular interest includes real-time observation, and structural and chemical characterizations. Fundamental understandings on energy storage materials at the nano scale will provide valuable insights on designing novel materials with excellent performance.

Education

• B.S.: Ajou University, Republic of Korea
  • Major: Material Science and Engineering
• M.S.: KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Republic of Korea
  • Major: Material Science and Engineering
• PhD: KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Republic of Korea
  • Major: Material Science and Engineering
  • Dissertation Title: Investigating Local Degradation and Thermal Stability of Cathode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries by Electron Microscopy

Professional Appointments

• Postdoctoral Research: Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)
  • Center for Energy Convergence
  • Project: A Study on the Reaction and Degradation Mechanism of Electrode Materials for Next-Generation Secondary Batteries using In Situ TEM Analysis Techniques
• Postdoctoral Research Associate: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)
  • Center for Functional Nanomaterials
  • Project: in situ analysis of energy-related materials

Research Highlights

BNL press release

• Connecting the Dots Between Material Properties and Qubit Performance
• Tracking Pileups on Battery Charging Route to Drive Performance
• Finding the Cause of Capacity Loss in a Metal-Oxide Battery Material
• Tripling the Energy Storage of Lithium-Ion Batteries 
• Tracking Heat-Driven Decay in Leading Electric Vehicle Batteries 

CFN Research Highlights

• Learning from Pileups in Li-Ion Batteries
• Platinum-free Nanocatalysts Provide a Fuel Cell Boost 
• Manganese Nanocatalysts Provide a Fuel Cell Boost 
• Observing the Obstacles Underlying Battery Capacity Fade 
• Tripling the Energy Storage of Lithium-Ion Batteries 
• Super-stable Platinum-alloy/Graphene-tube Catalysts 
• Tripod Nanocatalysts Support Faster Fuel Cell Reactions