(6iw) The Design, Synthesis and Testing of Advanced High-Performance Ionene Polymers As Gas Separation Membranes

Research Interests: The design and development of new advanced polymeric materials for energy-saving separation technology and environmental green energy applications. Our current projects investigate the use of versatile nature and tunable structures of ionic liquids in polymeric membrane systems for effective gasseparation applications. We have focused on the design, synthesis and testing of advanced “high-performance” ionenes (polycations formed from condensation reactions) as a new generation of separation membranes with a synergistic approach that combines different transport mechanisms, especially size-sieving and solution-diffusion. Membranes prepared from these newly developed ionene polymers displayed high CO₂ separation properties, together with excellent mechanical and thermal stabilities. Profound outputs from our current work funded by the Department of Energy – Basic Energy Sciences (DOE BES) will significantly contribute toward the establishment of a strong scientific and technical base for membrane science and technology.

Teaching Interests: The faculty candidate, Dr. Kammakakam has specific plans upon the completion of his postdoc project works to develop a tenure-track research career on the energy-saving materials. Dr. Kammakakam also has a solid academic foundation and a passion for teaching graduate students, worked as a teaching assistant of Prof. Kim Tae-Hyun as a part of the Ph.D. program. From the two years of teaching experience at Incheon National University, he observed that the teaching across intellectual domains goes beyond the creativity and knowledge, and he can teach students in a way that surprises, connects and enriches them. It is his dream and goal to work as an academic faculty and develop new advanced materials for energy-saving applications.