01
Ionic Polymer Design and Synthesis
Designing and synthesizing charged polymers — polyelectrolytes, ionoelastomers, and high-dielectric elastomers — and learning how molecular structure sets their ionic and mechanical behavior.
Sogang University
Polymer Ionic Materials Laboratory
Exploring the physicochemical phenomena of charged macromolecules, and their applications in functional devices
NEWS · Dec 2025
Selected as a National Future Research Laboratory
Welcome to the Hyeong Jun Kim research group
Charged macromolecules are everywhere! From biological macromolecules to synthetic polyelectrolytes for today's leading technologies, charged macromolecules are fundamental elements of our life.
Our team is engaged in exploring the physicochemical and biological phenomena of charged macromolecules as well as their applications in new functional devices. Our research aims to expand our understanding of charged macromolecules and translate their activities into soft and highly deformable functional devices.
Research
Our work runs from the synthesis of charged polymers, through the physics of the complexes they form, to the soft ionic devices and recycling chemistry they make possible.
02
Complex Coacervation and Phase Behavior
Associative phase separation of oppositely charged polymers, and the glass transition that governs how the resulting complex behaves.
03
Soft Ionic Devices, Iontronics, and Electro-Adhesion
Ionoelastomer heterojunctions, the ionic double layers they form, and the low-voltage electro-adhesion they make possible.
04
Sustainable Polymer Chemistry
Breaking polymers back down to their monomers, using recoverable catalysts built from charged polymers.
Recent News
- Sep 2026
Nano Letters paper accepted (Younghoon Kim, first author)
축하합니다, 김영훈 박사가 제1저자로 참여한 논문 (제목 : Kinetically Arrested Interfacial Polyelectrolyte Complexes within Ionic Double Layers) 이 'Nano Letters' 에 게재 승인되었습니다.
Congratulations! Our paper, by Dr. Younghoon Kim as first author (titled: Kinetically Arrested Interfacial Polyelectrolyte Complexes within Ionic Double Layers) has been accepted for publication in 'Nano Letters.'
- Sep 2026
Selected for the 9th Korea Toray Science Foundation Fellowship
김형준 교수가 제9회 한국도레이과학진흥재단 펠로십 신진과학자 5인에 선정되었습니다.
Prof. Hyeong Jun Kim has been selected as one of five early-career scientists for the 9th Korea Toray Science Foundation Fellowship.
- Aug 2026
Nature Communications paper accepted (Chankyu Kim & Chanhyuk Jeon, co-first authors)
축하합니다, 김찬규 석사과정 학생과 전찬혁 졸업생이 공동 1저자로 참여한 논문 (제목 : Electrically Induced Glass Transition of Polyelectrolyte Complexes Enables Kinetic Ionic Diodes) 이 'Nature Communications' 에 게재 승인되었습니다.
Congratulations! Our paper, by Chankyu Kim and Chanhyuk Jeon (alumnus) as co-first authors (titled: Electrically Induced Glass Transition of Polyelectrolyte Complexes Enables Kinetic Ionic Diodes) has been accepted for publication in 'Nature Communications.'
Join our team
We are looking for highly motivated team members who like to share our vision on charged macromolecule research. Our team pursues highly interdisciplinary research, bridging chemical engineering, polymer chemistry and physics, electronics, robotics, and mechanics. If you are interested, please send an email to hjunkim@sogang.ac.kr.