Colloquium Series: Dr. Jeonghoon Lim, LBNL & UC, Berkley

Dr. Jeonghoon Lim

Postdoctoral Fellow,

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) &

University of California, Berkeley

Title: Next-Generation Electrochemical Systems with Advanced Materials for Sustainability

Abstract:

My research focuses on the development of sustainable electrochemical systems through advances in materials science, electrochemical engineering, and product analysis. This includes designing and synthesizing nanomaterials, employing advanced characterization techniques, and developing efficient mechanical system designs. Key applications involve oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts for fuel cells and hydrogen peroxide production, nitrogen electrochemistry such as nitrate reduction for water purification and ammonia synthesis, alkaline sorbent regeneration for CO₂ capture, and bipolar membrane electrolyzers/electrodialysis.

Moving forward, I aim to advance technologies such as scalable electrolyzer design to enable ammonia production and seawater splitting for hydrogen generation. Additionally, I plan to expand research on in-situ gas/ion product analysis for understanding reaction mechanisms. These efforts will pave the way for more sustainable solutions to energy, water, and environmental challenges, contributing to global sustainability goals in renewable energy and chemical production.

Bio:

Dr. Jeonghoon Lim is a postdoctoral fellow in the Energy Storage and Distributed Resources Division at LBNL and the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at UC Berkeley, advised by Prof. Bryan D. McCloskey and Prof. Shannon W. Boettcher. His research focuses on sustainable electrochemical systems, specializing in nanomaterials and scalable technologies for renewable energy applications, including ammonia synthesis, CO₂ capture, hydrogen generation, and water reclamation.

He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, where he developed palladium-copper bimetallic catalysts for electrochemical nitrate reduction, with a focus on ammonia synthesis within the water-energy-food nexus, advised by Prof. Marta Hatzell and Prof. Seung Woo Lee. He holds an M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from KAIST, where he designed high-performance fuel cell catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions.

Dr. Lim’s expertise spans nanomaterial synthesis, electrochemical engineering, electrochemical cell design, and in-situ analysis techniques such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. As a dedicated mentor and leader, he has taught undergraduate courses, supervised student researchers, delivered invited talks, and chaired technical sessions at international conferences. His research vision bridges fundamental science with engineering solutions to address critical challenges in sustainable energy and environmental technologies.