Sung-Chul Kim (김성철)

Professor Emeritus with Post-Retirement Service

Education
  • 1975 : Univ. of Detroit (Dr. Eng. in Polymer Eng.)
  • 1972 : Univ. of Detroit (M.S. in Chem. Eng.)
  • 1967 : Seoul National Univ. (B.S. in Chem. Eng.)
Employment and Professional Experience
  • 2010 ~ Present : Professor Emeritus, KAIST
  • 1979 ~ 2010 : Professor , KAIST
  • 2002 ~ Present : Vice President, National Association of Scientists and Engineers
  • 2001 ~ 2004 : Chairman, Division of Engineering, Korean Academy of Science and Technology.
  • 1999 ~ Present : Titular Member, Macromolecular Division, IUPAC
  • 1998 ~ Present : Member, National Academy of Engineering, Korea
  • 1994 ~ Present : Director, Center for Advanced Functional Polymers
  • 2001 ~ 2001 : President, Polymer Society of Korea
  • 2000 ~ 2001 : Dean, Academic Affairs, KAIST
Awards and Honors
  • National Academy of Science(NAS) Award(2006)
  • The 4th Korea Engineering Prize (2001)
  • Sang Am Polymer Award (1999)
  • The Order of National Service Merit, Sukryujang (1994)
Research interests
  • Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN)
  • Polymers for biomedical application
  • Polymeric membrane
  • Polymer composites
  • Reactive polymer processing
Selected Publications
  • Effect of PEO grafts on the surface properties of PEO-grafted PU/PS IPNs - AFM study, Macromolecules, 36(8), 2867-2872 (2003)
  • PEO-grafting on PU/PS IPNs for enhanced blood compatibility-effect of pendant length and grafting density, Biomaterials, 23(9), 2015-2025 (2002)
  • Micellization and Gellation of Aqueous Solutions of Star-shaped PLLA-PEO Block Copolymers, Macromolecules, 36(11), 4115-4124(2003)
  • Synthesis of Chain-extended Organifier and Properties of Polyurethane-clay Nanocomposites, Polymer, 45(17), 6045-6057(2004)
  • Sol-Gel Transition Behavior of Biodegradable Three-arm and Four-arm Star-shaped PLGA-PEG Block Copolymer Aqueous Solution, J. Polym. Sci.-Al-Polym. Chem. Ed., 44(2), 888-899(2006)
Polymer EngineeringLaboratory

IPN Materials, Biodegradable Polymers, Polymer Nanocomposites, Fuel Cell Membranes


TIPS in poly (lactic acid) solution

The structure of the scaffold plays a critical role in organ regeneration. We tried to fabricate the scaffold through the thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) in poly(lactic acid)/dialkyl phthalate system and investigated the factors that can influence the final morphology of poly(lactic acid) scaffold.


Biodegradable PU/PEGDA IPN biomaterials

Implantable biomaterials must have good biocompatibility, good mechanical strength with resistance to repeated stress in human body, structural stability and low toxicity. In our study, we will develop the micro-separated structured amphiphilic IPNs having biodegradability and good biocompatibility including blood compatibility.


Bio-degradable and temperature-sensitive hydrogels

We synthesized biodegradable temperature-sensitive star-shaped PEG-PLGA-PEG block copolymers. The resulting polymers shows sol-gel transition behavior with increasing temperature in aqueous solutions. Using this characteristics, drug can be injected to the body in sol state and the sol is transformed into gel at body temperature.


Polymer Blend Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Nafion is currently used as the proton exchange membranes for direct methanol fuel cell system. The efficiency of the Nafion methanol fuel cell is low since the permeability of methanol through the Nafion membrane is high which causes the fuel loss. In order to reduce the methanol cross-over, Nafion/sulfonated polysulfone, Nafion/sulfornated poly(aryl ether ketone), sulfonated/nonsulfonated polyketone and sulfonated/nonsulfonated polysulfone blend membranes were prepared and the correlation between the morphology and properties is being analyzed.