Dr. Sun-Dong Kim | Water Electrolysis | Best Researcher Award

Chief at Korea Institute of Energy Research | South Korea

Dr. Sun-Dong Kim is a distinguished materials scientist from the Republic of Korea, renowned for his expertise in ceramic engineering, fuel cell systems, and clean hydrogen technologies. He obtained both his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in Ceramic Engineering from Yonsei University, Seoul. Dr. Kim began his professional career as a Principal Researcher at Hyundai Motor Corporation and later joined the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), where he currently serves as Chief and Head of the National Hydrogen Hub Laboratory. He has also contributed to academia as an Associate Professor at the University of Science and Technology and serves on the Board of Directors of the Korean Hydrogen & New Energy Society. With 47 Scopus-indexed publications and 1,505 citations, Dr. Kim holds an h-index of 22, reflecting his strong influence in the field of solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and high-temperature electrochemical systems. His work has appeared in top-tier journals such as Journal of Power Sources, Ceramics International, and Applied Energy. Beyond publications, Dr. Kim has been a key innovator in energy materials, contributing to over 70 patents in hydrogen production, electrochemical device engineering, and advanced fuel cell technologies, solidifying his leadership in advancing clean and sustainable hydrogen manufacturing research.

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Featured Publications

Kim, S. D., Hyun, S. H., Shin, M. Y., Lim, T. H., Hong, S. A., & Lim, H. C. (2005). Phase and microstructure stabilities of LiAlO₂ in molten Li/Na carbonate for molten carbonate fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources, 143(1–2), 24–29. Cited by 28 documents.

Hong, G., Kim, T. W., Kwak, M. J., Song, J., Choi, Y., Woo, S. K., & Kim, S. D. (2020). Composite electrodes of Ti-doped SrFeO₃–δ and LSGMZ electrolytes as both the anode and cathode in symmetric solid oxide fuel cells. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 846, 156154. Cited by 27 documents.

Choi, H. J., Na, Y. H., Kwak, M., Kim, T. W., Seo, D. W., Woo, S. K., & Kim, S. D. (2017). Development of solid oxide cells by co-sintering of GDC diffusion barriers with LSCF air electrode. Ceramics International, 43(16), 13653–13660. Cited by 26 documents.

Choi, H. J., Kim, T. W., Na, Y. H., Seo, D. W., Woo, S. K., Huh, J. Y., & Kim, S. D. (2018). Enhanced electrochemical performance of metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells via an inner coating of Gd₀.₁Ce₀.₉O₂–δ nanosol in the porous NiFe-metal support. Journal of Power Sources, 406, 81–87. Cited by 25 documents.

Kim, S. D., Hyun, S. H., Lim, T. H., & Hong, S. A. (2004). Effective fabrication method of rod-shaped γ-LiAlO₂ particles for molten carbonate fuel cell matrices. Journal of Power Sources, 137(1), 24–29. Cited by 21 documents.

Dr. Vladimir Atanasov | Fuel Cell | Excellence in Research Award

Team Leader at University of Stuttgart | Germany

Dr. Vladimir Milanov Atanasov is a distinguished researcher in polymer and membrane technology with more than 25 years of international experience in the field of chemical and polymer engineering. He currently serves as Team Leader for Polymer and Membrane Technology at the Institute of Chemical Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart. Born and educated in Bulgaria, he earned his M.Sc. in Organic and Analytical Chemistry from Sofia State University, followed by a Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Müllen at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz. Dr. Atanasov has held several prestigious postdoctoral appointments, including at the MPI for Polymer Research, MPI for Solid State Research, and the University of Stuttgart, where his work focused on fuel cell and biomembrane applications. His expertise spans polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) preparation, advanced polymerization techniques, post-modification methods, and organic synthesis, particularly in phosphonated and sulfonated fluoro-arylenes and functionalized lipids. He is skilled in a wide range of characterization techniques, including EIS, DMA, NMR, MALDI-ToF, GPC, DSC, and FTIR. Dr. Atanasov has authored 33 scientific documents, including 35 peer-reviewed papers, and holds three patents. His contributions have been cited over 1,181 times, and his current Scopus profile reflects an h-index of 16. His ongoing research focuses on the development and characterization of novel polymer electrolyte membranes for high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFC), combining innovative materials and advanced film-forming techniques to enhance efficiency and durability in energy applications.

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Feautured Publications

Atanasov, V., Knorr, N., Duran, R. S., Ingebrandt, S., Offenhäusser, A., & Knoll, W. (2005). Membrane on a chip: A functional tethered lipid bilayer membrane on silicon oxide surfaces. Biophysical Journal, 89(3), 1780–1788. Cited by: 250

Schuster, M., de Araujo, C. C., Atanasov, V., Andersen, H. T., Kreuer, K. D., & Maier, J. (2009). Highly sulfonated poly (phenylene sulfone): Preparation and stability issues. Macromolecules, 42(8), 3129–3137. Cited by: 204

Atanasov, V., Lee, A. S., Park, E. J., Maurya, S., Baca, E. D., Fujimoto, C., Hibbs, M., & others. (2021). Synergistically integrated phosphonated poly (pentafluorostyrene) for fuel cells. Nature Materials, 20(3), 370–377. Cited by: 198

Lim, K. H., Lee, A. S., Atanasov, V., Kerres, J., Park, E. J., Adhikari, S., Maurya, S., & others. (2022). Protonated phosphonic acid electrodes for high power heavy-duty vehicle fuel cells. Nature Energy, 7(3), 248–259. Cited by: 162

Atanasov, V., Atanasova, P. P., Vockenroth, I. K., Knorr, N., & Köper, I. (2006). A molecular toolkit for highly insulating tethered bilayer lipid membranes on various substrates. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 17(3), 631–637. Cited by: 94

Atanasov, V., & Kerres, J. (2011). Highly phosphonated polypentafluorostyrene. Macromolecules, 44(16), 6416–6423. Cited by: 93