Sanghwi Han, Ph. D.
Postdoctoral researcher, UC Berkeley
E-mail: sanghwi@berkeley.edu
My research vision is to develop robust electrochemical energy conversion systems by harnessing simple and highly reproducible methodologies, coupled with a thorough investigation of the underlying mechanisms.
Education
2021.3-2025.2
Ph.D., Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University (SNU)
Advisor: Prof. Jeyong Yoon
Thesis: Advanced water and furfural electrolysis via cutting-edge catalyst design
2015.3-2019.2
B.S.,Chemistry Education, Seoul National University (SNU)
Graduated with the highest honor
Experience
2025.10- present
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
Host: Prof. Shannon W. Boettcher
2025.3-2025.9
Postdoctoral Fellow, Seoul National University (SNU)
Host: Prof. Jeyong Yoon and Prof. Jaeyune Ryu
2022.3-2023.2
Research assistant, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)
2019.3-2021.2
Lieutenant, Marine Corps, Republic of Korea
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Proverbs 9:10
1st Author Papers
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S. Han, G. H. Choi, W. Zhang, D. Xi, D. Syar, J. Shim, J. Y. Lee, T. F. Jaramillo, J. Ryu*, S. W. Boettcher*,
Local pH control for impure water-fed bipolar membrane electrolyzers, TBD
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S. Han, H. Woo, J. Y. Lee, J. Park, S. H. Joo, W. B. Lee, S. W. Boettcher, J. Yoon*, J. Ryu*,
Reaction-Transport Imbalance Generates pH Landscpaes Governing Pure-Water-Fed Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolysis, TBD
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S. Han, J. Ryu*, J. Yoon*,
Activated Gas Diffusion Layers as Electrocatalysts for Sustainable Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis,
Advanced Functional Materials, 2026, 2520628
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S. Han and J. Yoon*,
Impact of surface engineering of electrodeposited Co-based anode catalysts on the durability of anion exchange membrane pure-water electrolysis,
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025, 522, 167795
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S. Han and J. Yoon*,
Strategies for Advancing Electrodeposited Co-based Oxygen Evolution Catalysts from Alkaline to Pure-water Conditions,
ACS Materials Letters, 2025, 7, 3128-3140
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S. Han, J. Woo, J. Shim, S. Heo, S. Kim, J. Y. Lee, J. Yoon*,
Advancing the Co-based catalyst−Ionomer Anode Interface in Pure-water Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolysis,
Advanced Functional Materials, 2025, 35, 2508175
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S. Han, S. Kim, H. Cho, J. Y. Lee*, J. Ryu*, J. Yoon*,
Dynamic polarization control of Ni substrates for sustainable and scalable water electrolysis under alkaline conditions,
Nature Communications, 2025, 16, 4803
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S. Han, S. Sasmal, M. Shen, Y. Wu, O. T. Vulpin, S. Hou, S. Kim, J.Y. Lee, J. Yoon*, S. W. Boettcher*
Advancing SnO2-based water dissociation catalysis in bipolar membrane water electrolyzers,
ACS Energy Letters, 2025, 10, 1633-1641
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S. Han, J. Ryu*, J. Yoon*,
Intermittent Polarity Inversion of Stainless-Steel Paired Electrodes for Efficient and Durable Water Electrolysis,
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2024, 501, 157603
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S. Han†, J. Kim†, J. Shim, W. B. Lee*, J. Ryu*, J. Yoon*,
Optimizing Electrochemical Furfural Hydrogenation of Pt via Bimetallic Colocalization of Cu,
ACS Catalysis, 2024, 14, 17525-17534 (†: Equally contributed)
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S. Han, J. H. Ryu, W. B. Lee, J. Ryu, J. Yoon*,
Translating the Optimized Durability of Co-based Anode Catalyst into Sustainable Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis,
Small, 2024, 20, 202311052
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S. Han, S. Kim, T. Kim, J. Y. Lee, J. Yoon*,
Optimizing the Synergistic Effect of Co and Fe for Efficient and Durable Oxygen Evolution in Alkaline Conditions,
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2024, 16, 35200-25207
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S. Han, Y. Lee, J. Woo, J. Jang, Y.-E. Sung, J. Yoon*,
Efficient Electrochemical Hydrogenation of Furfural to Furfuryl Alcohol Using an Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolysis Cell,
ACS Omega, 2024, 9, 26285-26292
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S. Han, J. Park, J. Yoon*,
Surface Reconstruction of Co-based Catalysts for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Activity in Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis,
Advanced Functional Materials, 2024, 34, 2314573
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S. Han, H. S. Park*, J. Yoon*,
Superior performance of an anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer: sequential electrodeposited Co-based oxygen evolution catalyst,
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2023, 477, 146713
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S. Han†, S. Kim†, S. Kwak, C. Lee, D. H. Jeong, C. Kim*, J. Yoon*,
Iridium-cobalt mixed oxide electrode for efficient chlorine evolution in dilute chloride solutions,
Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 2022, 108, 514-521 (†: Equally contributed)
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S. Han, S. Jeon, J. Lee, J. Ahn, C. Lee, J. Lee*, J. Yoon*,
Efficient bicarbonate removal and recovery of ammonium bicarbonate as CO2 utilization using flow-electrode capacitive deionization,
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022, 431,134233
Research Interests
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Electrochemical energy conversion
Keywords: Water electrolysis, Bipolar membrane systems, Organic compound synthesis,
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Physical electrochemistry and catalysis
Keywords: Electrochemical interface design, Ion crossover, Nanoparticle synthesis,
In-situ spectroscopy
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Environmental engineering
Keywords: Electrodialysis, Ion seperation, CO2 capture & utilization, Water treatment
Awards
- Best PhD Thesis Award, Sustainable Chemistry, Switzerland (2025)
- Dongjin Early-career Academic Award, Dongjin Semichem, Republic of Korea (2025)
- Excellent Teaching Assistant Award, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea (2023)
- National Assembly Standing Chairman Award, Science, ICT, broadcasting, and communication committee, Republic of Korea (2022)
- Physical Excellence Award, the 6th ROK Marine Brigade, Republic of Korea (2019)
- Most Outstanding Officer Award, ROK Army Artillery School, Republic of Korea (2019)
- Graduation Honor Prize, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea (2019)
- Best Poster Award, International Conference on Appropriate Technology (ICAT), Republic of Korea (2017)
- Best Presentation Award, International Conference on Energy and Sustainability (ICES), Tanzania (2017)
- Academic Excellence Scholarship, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea (2015-2018)
Hobbies
- Singing
- Drum
- Badminton
- Soccer