BIOGRAPHY

Yoon Kim is an associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He studied Chemical Engineering at Hanyang University, Korea (2010) summa cum laude, and received his Ph.D. from the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 2016 (advisor: Prof. Nicholas A. Kotov). His Ph.D. work on stretchable electronic and optical materials earned him the ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award and DSM Science & Technology Award, ACS. Subsequently, he worked at the Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as a postdoctoral associate from 2016 to 2019 (advisor: Prof. Timothy M. Swager). His research group at the HKUST synthesizes porous crystalline polymers and applies them to energy applications. The current research topics include “Ionic Covalent Organic Frameworks Solid Electrolytes”, “All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries”, “Single-Atom Catalysts Covalent Organic Frameworks”, etc. He has received numerous awards/recognitions in his independent career, including ChemPlusTalents (ChemPlusChem, Wiley), Early Investigator (PMSE, ACS), Rising Star (ACS Materials Au, ACS), Emerging Investigator (Nanoscale, RSC) Influential Researcher (I&EC Research ACS), etc.

APPOINTMENTS

• 2025–present — Associate Professor (tenured), Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China 

• 2019–2025 — Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China

• 2016–2019 — Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA (with Prof. Timothy M. Swager)

• 2010–2016 — Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA (with Prof. Nicholas A. Kotov)

• 2009–2010 — Visiting Scholar, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA (with Prof. Adam J. Matzger)

EDUCATION

• 2016 — Ph.D., Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

• 2010 — B.S., Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Korea, Summa Cum Laude

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

• 2025–present — Editorial Board, Scientific Reports, Springer Nature

• 2024–2025 — Guest editor, Advanced Materials, Wiley, on “35th Anniversary of Materials Research at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology”

• 2023–present — Community Board, Nanoscale Horizons, RSC

• 2022–present — Early Career Advisory Board, Materials Today Energy, Elsevier

• 2017–2018 — Contributed editor, Synfacts, Thieme

HONORS & AWARDS

• 2025 — Rising Star, Progress in Polymer Science, Elsevier (about)

• 2021, 2024, 2025 — Young Scientist, World Laureate Forum, China

• 2024 — ChemPlusTalents, ChemPlusChem, Wiley (about)

• 2024 — Early Investigator, PMSE, ACS (about)

• 2024 — Early Career Forum, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, ACS (about)

• 2023 — Influential Researcher, I&EC Research, ACS (about)

• 2023 — Emerging Investigator, Nanoscale, RSC (about)

• 2022 — Rising Star, ACS Materials Au, ACS (about)

• 2020 — Early Career Grant, RGC, Hong Kong

• 2018 — DSM Science & Technology Award, POLY, ACS (about) – One awardee per year

• 2018 — Future Faculty Scholar, PMSE, ACS (about)

• 2017 — ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award, U of M (about) – One percent per year

• 2012-2017 — Travel Grants: Gordon Research Conference, Layer-By-Layer Conference, Institute of Physics, University of Michigan, and Hanwha Chemical

• 2016 — Ivor K. McIvor Award, U of M

• 2015 — Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research, POLY, ACS (about)

• 2014–2016 — Graduate Student Awards 

  • Materials Research Society (2016)

  • American Chemical Society (2015)

  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2014)

• 2015 — Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research, POLY, ACS (about)

• 2015 — The Best Poster Award, Engineering Graduate Symposium, U of M

• 2015 — The First Poster Prize on Blue/Green Seminar, Chemical Engineering, U of M

• 2014 — Doh Wonsuk Memorial Award, KIChE, AIChE

• 2014–2015 — Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, U of M (about)

• 2014 — Distinguished Leadership Award, College of Engineering, U of M

• 2014 — Towner Prize for Distinguished Academic Achievement, U of M

• 2014 — Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association & Korea-US Science Cooperation Center Scholarship

• 2014 — Excellence in Research Award, Chemical Engineering, U of M

• 2011–2013 — Graduate Scholarship, US $30,000 per year, STX Foundation, Korea

• 2008–2010 — Outstanding Undergraduate Scholarship, STX Foundation, Korea

• 2003–2008 — Undergraduate Merit-based Scholarships, Hanyang University, Korea

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

• Yin, Z.; Kim, Y.* Sustainable Polymers for Battery Applications. Prog. Polym. Sci. 171, 102038 (2025)

• Gu, M.; Wu, J.; Li, C.; Zhang, Z.; Li, R.; Tian, Y.; Bang, K.T.; Wang, R.; Suleman, S.; Yuan, Y.; Huang, J.; Shin, D.M.; Xu, Z.L.; Wang, Y.; Kim, Y.* Mechanically Assisted Li+-Conduction in Crown Ether-Covalent Organic Framework Solid Electrolytes for Lithium Metal Batteries. Adv. Mater. 2511473 (2025)

• Wang, R.†; Wang, Y.†; Zhang, Z.; Wu, Y.; Dang, Z.; Cheng, X.; Chen, X.; Feng, W.; Lam, L.Y.F.; Hu, X.; Wang, Y.; Shang, J.*; Kim, Y.* NO2 Adsorption at Humid, Low-Concentration Environments Using Undulated and Metalated Covalent Organic Frameworks. Adv. Func. Mater. e17370 (2025)

• Tian, Y.; Hui, X.; Wang, K.; Yuan, Y.; Chen, H.; Bang, K.T.; Tao, R.; Wang, R.; Shin, D.M.; Lan, Y.; Xu, Z.L.; Kim, Y.* Freestanding Phosphonium Covalent Organic Frameworks with Efficient Hydroxide Conduction for Zinc–Air Batteries. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. e202419257 (2024)

• Huang, J.†; Li, C.†; Jiang, D.; Gao, J.; Cheng, L.; Li, G.; Luo, H.; Xu, Z-L.; Shin, D-M.; Wang, Y.; Lu, Y.; Kim, Y.* Solid-State Electrolytes for Lithium Metal Batteries: State‐of‐the‐Art and Perspectives. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2411171 (2024)

• Kim, Y.*; Li, C.; Huang, J.; Yuan, Y.; Tian, Y.; Zhang, W.* Ionic Covalent Organic Framework Solid-State Electrolytes. Adv. Mater. 2407761 (2024)

• Huang, J.; Cheng, L.; Zhang, Z.; Li, C.; Bang, K.T.; Liem, A.+; Luo, H.; Hu, C.; Lee, Y.M.; Lu, Y.; Wang, Y.*; Kim, Y.* High-Performance All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries Enabled by Ionic Covalent Organic Framework Composites. Adv. Energy Mater. 2400762 (2024)

• Yuan, Y.; Zhang, Z.; Zhang, Z.; Bang, K.T.; Tian, Y.; Dang, Z.; Gu, M.; Wang, R.; Tao, R.; Lu, Y.; Wang, Y.; Kim, Y.* Imidazolate Covalent Organic Frameworks with Ether Chains as Solid Electrolytes for Lithium Metal Batteries. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. e202402202 (2024)

• Li, C.; Wang, D.D.; Poon Ho, G.S.H.; Zhang, Z.; Huang, J.; Bang, K.T.; Lau, C.Y.; Leu, S.Y.; Wang, Y.; Kim, Y.* Anthraquinone-Based Silicate Covalent Organic Frameworks as Solid Electrolyte Interphase for High-Performance Lithium-Metal Batteries. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 145, 45, 24603 (2023)

• Chen, H.; Bang, K.T.; Tian, Y.; Hu, C.; Tao, R.; Yuan Y.; Wang, R.; Shin, D-M.; Shao, M.; Lee, Y.M.; Kim, Y.* Poly(Ethylene Piperidinium)s for Anion Exchange Membranes. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. e202307690 (2023)

• Yuan, Y.†; Bang, K.†; Wang, R.; Kim, Y.* Macrocycle-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks. Adv. Mater. 2210952 (2023)

• Liang, X.†; Tian, Y.†; Yuan, Y.; Kim, Y.* Ionic Covalent Organic Frameworks for Energy Devices Adv. Mater. 2105647 (2021)

• Kim, Y.; Wang, Y.†; France-Lanord, A.†; Wang, Y.; Wu, Y-C.M.; Lin, S.; Li, Y.; Grossman, J.C.*; Swager, T.M.* Ionic Highways from Covalent Assembly in Highly Conducting and Stable Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells J. Am. Chem. Soc. 141, 18152 (2019).

• Kim, Y.; Lin, Z.; Jeon, I.; Voorhis, T.V.; Swager, T.M.*  Polyaniline Nanofiber Electrodes for Reversible Capture and Release of Mercury(II) from Water.  J. Am. Chem. Soc. 140, 14413 (2018).

• Kim, Y.†; Yeom, B.†; Arteaga, O.; Yoo, S.J.; Lee, S.G.; Kim, J.G.; Kotov, N.A.* Reconfigurable Chiroptical Nanocomposites with Chirality Transfer from the Macro- to the Nanoscale.  Nature Materials 15, 461 (2016).

• Kim, Y.; Zhu, J.; Yeom, B.; Prima, M.D.; Su, X.; Kim, J.G.; Yoo, S.J.; Uher, C.; Kotov, N.A.*  Stretchable Nanoparticle Conductors with Self-Organized Conductive Pathways.  Nature 500, 59 (2013).

• Kim, Y.; Koh, K.; Roll, M.F.; Laine, R.M.; Matzger, A.J.*  Porous Networks Assembled with Octa Phenyl Silsesquioxanes as Building Blocks.  Macromolecules 43, 6995 (2010).  (Undergraduate publication)