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SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) - Two undergraduate students at Kookmin University have published a research paper in an international SCI-indexed journal after participating in the university's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), highlighting the growing role of hands-on research in undergraduate education.

Kim Min-su and Lee Jeong-hun, students in the Department of Nanoelectronics and Physics, recently published a paper in Materials, an international journal published by MDPI, focusing on improving the long-term charge and discharge stability of anode materials used in lithium-ion batteries.

Their study explores the use of hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles as an anode active material, applying structural concepts originally developed for drug delivery systems to battery technology. The researchers found that the unique hollow and porous structure helps absorb volume expansion during repeated charging and discharging, leading to improved Coulombic efficiency and more stable cycling performance even under high current density conditions.

Anode active materials play a critical role in portable electronics and electrochemical energy storage systems by storing lithium ions during charging and releasing them during discharge. While silicon- and silica-based anodes offer high theoretical capacity, they have long struggled with structural instability caused by volume expansion, which degrades performance over time. The study shows that structural design at the nanoscale can mitigate these limitations and contribute to the development of more durable and reliable battery materials.

The research was conducted under the supervision of Shim In-bo, a professor in the Department of Nanoelectronics and Physics. Shim said the project demonstrates the value of integrating real research experience into undergraduate education.

This file image shows Kim Min-soo (left) and Lee Jung-hoon (right), students of the Department of Nanoelectronic Physics at Kookmin University. Courtesy of Kookmin University

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"To address new risks facing higher education in the era of generative AI, we need systems that bring real problem-solving and research experience into formal curricula," Shim said. "This work shows that even undergraduate students, through structured programs like UROP, can independently explore topics beyond coursework and produce meaningful research outcomes."

Kim Min-su said participating directly in laboratory experiments and paper writing as an undergraduate researcher was a valuable experience and expressed interest in continuing research related to next-generation batteries. Lee Jeong-hun also said the program provided an unexpected and meaningful opportunity and thanked the university and faculty for their support.

The study was supported by Kookmin University's UROP program and the Advanced Field Innovation Convergence College Next-Generation Communications Project.

(Paper information)
Journal: Materials (MDPI)
Title: A Study on Hollow Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Long-Term Cycling

Park Sae-jin Reporter swatchsjp@ajunews.com

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