In recognition of his achievements in the field of polymer science in Korea and abroad for the past 30 years, such as research on the production of next-generation batteries using sulfur, Kookheon Char, dean of Seoul National University's College of Engineering (professor of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering), was the 'SPSJ International Award Winner' of the Japanese Society of Polymer Science.
 
The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ) is the world's largest conference specializing in polymer science, and the 'SPSJ International Award' is an annual award for scientists who have contributed to the development of polymer science since 1994.
 
Dean Kookheon Char, a world-renowned scholar in the field of polymer material-related research, was awarded this award for his contribution to leading creative research in the field of polymer material development including sulfur polymers. This study started from a new idea that had never been seen before and drew unique results that has had a great impact on the future society. The awards ceremony will be held at the annual academic presentation held online on May 26 and Dean Kookheon Char will give a keynote speech to commemorate the award. This award made the mark that the Korean polymer academic field is leading the world.
 
In his research paper ('Sulfur Polymers: Materials for Sustainable Growth'),  he says “The advancement of chemistry to convert sulfur powder from the desulfurization process of the oil refining industry into workable polymeric material is a special opportunity to open a new horizon for sulfur utilization as an alternative feedstock for high-tech materials," and suggested various ways to provide solutions for problems that may arise in the process. These studies conducted by Dean Kookheon Char are recognized in academia as a major contribution to the development of sustainable polymer materials.
 
“The first attempt to transform industrial waste sulfur powder into a form that can be processed like plastic and apply it to high value-added applications such as next-generation batteries (lithium-sulfur batteries) and infrared lenses for autonomous driving has been recognized,“ said Dean Char and further commented by saying,
"I think it is timely for these original research results to be internationally recognized at a time when eco-friendly technologies and resource recycling in response to climate change such as carbon neutrality are becoming more important recently.”
 
Dean Kookheon Char received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1989 after graduating from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Seoul National University. After working as a postdoctoral researcher at IBM's Almaden Research Center in the United States, he returned to Korea and worked as a senior researcher at LG Chem Research Institute before being appointed as a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Seoul National University in 1991. He has been inaugurated as the dean of the College of Engineering since 2017, and served as the president of the Polymer Society of Korean in 2019.
 
Polymer and hybrid materials being his main area of expertise,
 he has suggested a new direction for semiconductor quantum dot manufacturing and device development, and recently, the development of next-generation batteries and optical materials using sulfur. In particular, by focusing on research using sulfur generated from oil refineries as plastics, he developed technologies that are used in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles, night vision goggles and high-performance infrared optical lenses for autonomous driving.
 
Dean Kookheon Char has exerted influence on the polymer academic community in Korea and abroad through his research and nurturing of younger students for the past 30 years. Further, his research results have made new developments in the domestic semiconductor, electronic materials and oil refining industries.
 
In recognition of his achievements, he received the 34th Inchon Award (2020), Samsung Polymer Science Award (2012), and Shinyang Engineering Science Award (2011) in Korea and from other countries, other than his current award,  he has received the TOTAL Visiting Scholar Award (2017) from ESPCI of France and is active as a fellow of the American Physical Society and a senior member of the Gutenberg Research Foundation in Germany.
 
Meanwhile, Dean Kookheon Chat gave an invitational lecture on “The Next 100 Years of Polymers” as a representative of Korea at the symposium on the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the polymer concept hosted by the Japanese  Society of Polymer Science on March 12.