Electrochemical water splitting has emerged as a pivotal technology for green hydrogen production, offering a viable pathway toward a sustainable energy future. Among various electrolysis systems, Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis is particularly noteworthy as a cost-effective solution capable of operating under the fluctuating power inputs typical of renewable energy sources. However, the overall efficiency of water splitting is fundamentally limited by the oxygen evolution reaction, which exhibits sluggish kinetics compared to the hydrogen evolution reaction. While IrO₂ and RuO₂ serve as current benchmarks, their scarcity and high cost necessitate the development of earth-abundant alternatives. This review provides a comprehensive overview of fundamental OER mechanisms including the adsorbate evolution mechanism, lattice oxygen mechanism, and oxide path mechanism while highlighting how new pathways can circumvent traditional scaling relations. We discuss recent advancements in transition metal-based electrocatalysts, encompassing oxides, hydroxides, chalcogenides, phosphides, nitrides, and carbides, with a focus on innovative design strategies such as defect engineering, heteroatom doping, and heterostructure construction. This paper concludes by addressing current challenges and offering perspectives on future directions for the development of highly efficient and economically viable oxygen evolution electrocatalysts for large-scale applications.

This review systematically examines the structural characteristics, compositional design strategies, and recent research trends of layered double hydroxides (LDHs), which are recognized as promising electrocatalyst materials in electrochemical nitrate-to-ammonia conversion. Despite the rapid growth in related research, achieving simultaneous high selectivity and efficiency remains a significant technical challenge due to the complex mechanisms of the nitrate reduction reaction (NitRR) and its inherent competition with the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this study, we analyzed the structural contributions of LDH catalysts for maximizing nitrate reduction efficiency and systematically established key catalyst design indicators required to ensure optimal performance. Specifically, we provide a detailed investigation of the physicochemical mechanisms for enhancing NH₃ production by precisely regulating the adsorption energies of reaction intermediates and maximizing charge transfer efficiency through compositional control and defect engineering. Furthermore, we discuss advanced structural design strategies, such as core-shell tandem structures, MOF-derived architectures, and interlayer anion control, as effective methods for enhancing catalytic performance and optimizing mass transport processes. These insights offer a strategic roadmap for designing high-performance LDH catalysts and represent a critical step toward the practical implementation of sustainable green ammonia production systems, particularly for integration into high-efficiency membrane electrode assembly (MEA) technologies.

Precise control over the morphology of nanostructures is critical for tailoring their physical and chemical properties. This study addresses the challenge of developing a simple, integrated method for synthesizing both 1D and 2D colloidal Cu nanostructures in a single system, achieving successful tuning of their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties. A facile hydrothermal synthesis utilizing potassium iodide (KI) and hexadecylamine (HDA) is presented for controlling Cu nanostructure morphologies. The key to achieving 1D nanowires (NWs) and 2D nanoplates (NPs) depends on the controlled adsorption of HDA molecules and iodide (I-) ions on specific crystal facets. Depending on the morphologies, the resultant Cu nanostructures exhibit tunable LSPR peaks from 558 nm [nanoplates (NPs)] to 590 nm [nanowires (NWs)]. These results pave the way for the scalable and cost-effective production of plasmonic Cu nanostructures with tunable optical properties, holding promise for applications in sensing, catalysis, and photonic devices.

In this study, KTN heterolayer thin films were fabricated by alternately stacking films of K(Ta_0.70Nb_0.30)O₃ and K(Ta_0.55Nb_0.45)O₃ synthesized using the sol-gel method. The sintering temperature and time were 750℃ and 1 hour, respectively. All specimens exhibited a polycrystalline pseudo-cubic crystal structure, with a lattice constant of approximately 0.398 nm. The average grain size was around 130~150 nm, indicating relatively uniform sizes regardless of the number of coatings. The average thickness of a single-coated film was approximately 70 nm. The phase transition temperature of the KTN heterolayer films was found to be approximately 8~12℃. Moreover, the 6-coated KTN heterolayer film displayed an excellent dielectric constant of about 11,000. As the number of coatings increased, and consequently the film thickness, the remanent polarization increased, while the coercive field decreased. The 6-coated KTN heterolayer film exhibited a remanent polarization and coercive field of 11.4 μC/cm² and 69.3 kV/cm at room temperature, respectively. ΔT showed the highest value at a temperature slightly above the Curie temperature, and for the 6-coated KTN heterolayer film, the ΔT and ΔT/ΔE were approximately 1.93 K and 0.128×10^-6 K·m/V around 40℃, respectively.

We present the structural and optical properties of Au@TiO₂ core-shell microsphere structure prepared by a hydrothermal synthesis method. As a way to improve the efficiency of organic solar cells, the Au@TiO₂ core-shell microsphere was synthesized to use the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) phenomenon. The synthesized results were confirmed to have the Au@TiO₂ core-shell structure using a high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. An absorption was observed to occur at 527 nm belonging to the visible light region using a visible light spectroscopy, which supports the LSPR phenomenon. We suggest that the Au@TiO₂ core-shell microsphere is highly likely to be applied to organic solar cells including dye-sensitized solar cells. In addition, we expect it to be widely used not only in the energy but also in the bio as well as in the environmental fields.

A variable vacuum capacitor (VVC), which is a variable element, is used to match impedance in plasma that changes with various impedance values, and its use is expanding with the rapid growth of the semiconductor business. Since VVCs have to secure insulation performance and vary capacitance within a compact size, electrode design and manufacturing are very important; thus, various technologies such as part design and manufacturing technology and vacuum brazing technology are required. In this study, based on the model of an advanced foreign company that is widely used for impedance matching in the manufacture of semiconductors and displays, a VVC that can realize the same performance was developed. The electrode part was designed, the consistency was confirmed through analysis, and the precision of capacitance was improved by designing a cup-type electrode to secure the concentricity of the electrode. As a result of the evaluation, all requirements was satisfied. We believe that self-development will be possible if satisfactory responses are received through evaluation by VVC consumers in the future.

Ultrawide bandgap gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) semiconductors are known to have excellent photocatalytic properties due to their high redox potential. In this study, CO₂ reduction is demonstrated using nanostructured Ga₂O₃ photocatalyst under ultraviolet (254 nm) light source conditions. After the CO₂ reduction, C₂H₄ remained as a by-product in this work. Nanostructured Ga₂O₃ photocatalyst also showed an excellent endurance characteristic. Photogenerated electron-hole pairs boosted the CO₂ reduction to C₂H₄ via nanostructured Ga₂O₃ photocatalyst, which is attributed to the ultrawide and almost direct bandgap characteristics of the gallium oxide semiconductor. The findings in this work could expedite the realization of CO₂ reduction and a simultaneous C₂H₄ production using a low cost and high performance photocatalyst.

Direct exposure to toxic and hazardous gases has always been considered as the most pervasive problem worldwide, leading to a gradual increase in the number of asthma patients due to NO_x/SO_x gases inhaling and exposure to 50 ppm formaldehyde gases. Therefore, the development of accurate gas sensors is a key issue for resolving these problems. To address such issues, the development of membranes for selective filtering of target molecules as well as nanocatalyst for enhancing the sensing selectivity is highly crucial. In this review, the research progress for porous membrane materials (e.g. MOFs, and graphene) and nanocatalyst technology for the development of selective and accurate gas sensors will be discussed.

In this work, the (K_1-xAg_x)(Ta_0.8Nb_0.2)O₃ (x=0.1-0.4) ceramics were fabricated using mixed-oxide method, and their structural and electrical properties were measured. All specimens represented a pseudo cubic structure with the lattice constant of 0.3989 nm. When 0.4 mol of Ag was added, second phases induced from metallic Ag and K₂(Ta,Nb)₆O₁₆ phase were observed. Dielectric constant and dielectric loss of K(Ta_0.8Nb_0.2)O₃ specimen doped with 0.3 mol of Ag were 2,737 and 0.446, respectively. The curie temperature was about -5℃, which does not change with Ag addition. The remanent polarization began to decrease sharply around 12~15℃, and the temperature at which the remanent polarization began to decrease as the applied voltage increased shifted to the high temperature side. The electrocaloric effect (ΔT) and electrocaloric efficiency (ΔT/ΔE) of the (K_0.7Ag_0.3)(Ta_0.8Nb_0.2)O₃ ceramics were 0.01024℃ and 0.01825 KmV^-1, respectively.

As the recent climate problems are getting worse year after year, the demands for clean energy materials have highly increased in modern society. However, the candidate material classes for clean energy expand rapidly and the outcomes are too complex to be interpreted at laboratory scale (e.g., multicomponent materials). In order to overcome these issues, the firstprinciples calculations are becoming attractive in the field of material science. The calculations can be performed rapidly using virtual environments without physical limitations in a vast candidate pool, and theory can address the origin of activity through the calculations of electronic structure of materials, even if the structure of material is too complex. Therefore, in terms of the latest trends, we report academic progress related to the first-principles calculations for design of efficient electrocatalysts. The basic background for theory and specific research examples are reported together with the perspective on the design of novel materials using first-principles calculations.

In this work, we fabricated oxide on an n-type silicon substrate through local anodic oxidation (LAO) using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The resulting oxide thickness was measured and its correlation with load force, scan speed and applied voltage was analyzed. The surface oxide layer was stripped using a buffered oxide etch. Ohmic contacts were created by applying silver paste on the silicon substrate back face. LAO was performed at approximately 70% humidity. The oxide thickness increased with increasing the load force, the voltage, and reducing the scan speed. We confirmed that LAO/AFM can be used to create both lateral and, to some extent, vertical shapes and patterns, as previously shown in the literature.

Heterolayered K(Ta,Nb)O₃/Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates were prepared by a sol-gel process and spin-coating method. The structural and electrical properties were measured to investigate the possibility of application as an electrocaloric effect device. All specimens exhibited dense and uniform cross-sectional structures without pores, and the average thickness of the specimen coated six times was approximately 394 nm. Curie temperatures were observed at 5℃ or less in type-Ⅰ and 10℃ in type-Ⅱ specimens, respectively. Type-Ⅱ specimens coated 6 times showed a relative dielectric constant of 758 and remanent polarization of 9.71 μC/cm₂ at room temperature. The maximum electrocaloric effect occurred between 20 and 25℃, slightly higher than their Curie temperature, and the electrocaloric property (ΔT) of the type-Ⅱ specimens coated 6 times was approximately 1.2℃ at room temperature.

Single-crystal diamond obtained by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) exhibits great potential for use in next-generation power devices. Low defect density is required for the use of such power devices in high-power operations; however, plastic deformation and lattice strain increase the dislocation density during diamond growth by CVD. Therefore, characterization of the dislocations in CVD diamond is essential to ensure the growth of high-quality diamond. In this work, we analyze the characteristics of the dislocations in CVD diamond through synchrotron white beam X-ray topography. In estimate, many threading edge dislocations and five mixed dislocations were identified over the whole surface.

This study describes the development of graphene-TiO₂ conjugates for the enhancement of the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO₂. Graphene-based hybrid nanomaterials have attracted considerable attention because of the unique and advantageous properties of graphene. In the proposed hybrid nanomaterial, graphene serves as an electron acceptor to ensure fast charge transfer. Effective charge separation can, therefore, be achieved to slow down electron-hole recombination. This results in an enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂. In addition, increased adsorption and interactions with the adsorbed reagents also lead to an improvement in the photocatalytic activity of graphene-TiO₂ hybrid nanomaterials. The acquired result is encouraging in that the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ was initiated using visible light (630 nm) instead of the typical UV light.

TiO₂ has excellent photocatalytic properties and several studies have reported the increase in its specific surface area. The structure of TiO₂ nanofibers indicates promising improved photocatalytic properties and these nanofibers can thus potentially be applied in air pollution sensors and pollutant removal filters. In this study, a TiO₂ nanofiber was fabricated by the electrospinning method. The fabrication processing factors such as the applied voltage, the distance between nozzle and collector, and the inflow rate of solution were controlled. The precursor was titanium (Ⅳ) isopropoxide and as-spun TiO₂ nanofibers were heated at 450℃ for 2 h to obtain an anatase crystalline structure. The microstructure was analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The anatase phase was observed in the TiO₂ nanofibers after heat treatment. The diameter of TiO₂ nanofibers increased with the flow rate, but decreased with decreasing applied voltage and nozzle to collector distance. The diameter of TiO₂ nanofibers was controlled in the range of 364 nm to 660 nm. These nanofibers are expected to be very useful in photocatalytic applications.

With the development of the Internet of Things, the use of flexible displays has become widespread. In particular, the use of curved, bendable, and rollable displays is increasing. Flexible display production processes include various important components such as lamination material, flexible substrates, and adhesives. Among them, improvement of the lamination process comprises a large proportion of efforts for further development. In this paper, we attempt to improve the transmittance of the display substrate by performing a bubble removal process after adhesion. The transmittance of the glass substrate with the bubble removal process was 5~12% higher than that of the substrate without the bubble removal process. The fill-strength after the bubble removal process was improved by 21.4%, and the shear-strength was improved by 43.9%.

In this paper, we introduce an electrocardiogram (ECG) system designed to solve problems caused by wetgels and motion artifacts in measuring active movement. The system is called a dry-contact ECG and was designed by considering impedance matching between skin and electrode as well as the frictional electricity between electrode and clothes. In order to create the system, we measured impedance on the skin-electrode interface, and the result was applied to the electronic circuit scheme. Moreover, we added an electrode on the back of the measurement electrode to make a flow path to ground the electrical noise. The final ECG circuit and novel electrode were used to detect real human cardiac signals from a subject who was tested while standing still and walking. The signals obtained from the two activities were nicely shaped, without any motion artifact noise. We took electrode size into account in this study because the impedance depended on the area of the electrode. An electrode of 50 mm diameter showed the best curve for the ECG signal without any electrical noise.

The electrocaloric effect in 0.94(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)TiO₃+0.06KNbO3+0.9 wt% G.F.ferroelectricceramics was observed in terms of the temperature change (ΔT) of the fabricated ceramics, Curie temperature Tc, and applied electric field. The specimens were fabricated by a conventional solid-state reaction. T_c appeared near 165∼170℃. The P-E hysteresis showed a tendency to slim down with a temperature increase and finally was slimmest near 150℃. With the increase of temperature, the polarization revealed a gradual decrease, and a sharp decline near T_c. When an electric field of 45 kV/cm was applied, the largest polarization was shown. The maximum value of the temperature change (ΔT=0.31℃) was obtained at 165℃ under an applied electric field of 45 kV/cm.

In this study, in order to develop composition ceramics for refrigeration device application at a temperature of less than 90°C, a Ba(Ti_1-xZr_x)O₃ composition was fabricated using a conventional solid-state method. Electrocaloric properties of these ceramics were investigated using the characteristics of P-E hysteresis loops in a wide temperature range from room temperature to 150°C. The Curie temperature of Ba(Ti_1-xZr_x)O₃ ceramics decreased with the increase of x. The maximum value of □T = 0.07°C in an ambient temperature of 85°C under 30 kV/cm appeared when x = 0.125. It was concluded that the composition (x = 0.125) ceramics can be used for refrigeration device applications.

In this study, in order to develop composition ceramics for refrigeration device application, Ba(Ti_0.9Zr_0.1)O₃ composition was fabricated using conventional solid-state method. Electrocaloric effect of this ceramic was investigated using the characteristics of P-E hysteresis loops at wide temperature range from room temperature to 150℃. Curie temperature of Ba(Ti_0.9Zr_0.1)O₃ ceramics showed 80℃. The maximum value of ?T = 0.12℃ in ambient temperature of 115℃ under 30 kV/cm was appeared. It is concluded that Ba(Ti_0.9Zr_0.1)O₃ ceramics can be applied as refrigeration device application.

In this study, in order to develop relaxor ferroelectric ceramics for refrigeration device application with large electrocaloric effect and low sintering temperature, PLZT(8/65/35) ceramics was fabricated using conventional solid-state method with the variation of sintering temperature (1,050℃, 1,100℃, 1,200℃). The XRD pattern of all specimens indicated general perovskite structure with secondary phase. From the results of temperature dependence of dielectric constant, the TC (ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition temperature) was shifted toward high temperature with increasing sintering temperature. When the specimen was sintered at 1,100℃, the optimal value of .T ∼0.349℃ in ambient temperature of 215℃ was appeared. It is considered that PLZT(8/65/35) ceramics possess the possibility of refrigeration device application.

In this study, in order to develop relaxor ferroelectric ceramics for refrigeration device application with large electrocaloric effect, PLZT(8/65/35) composition was fabricated using conventional solid-state method. The Curi temperature of this composition PLZT ceramics was 230℃, and the P-E hysteresis loops of the PLZT ceramics as a fuction of temperature became slim by degrees with higher temperatures. The maximum value of .T of 0.243°C in ambient temperature of 215°C with 30 kV/cm was appeared. It is considered that PLZT ceramics possess the possibility of refrigeration device application.

In this study, in order to develop the composition ceramics with the excellent electrocaloric properties, 8/65/35 PLZT ceramics were fabricated by the conventional solid-state method with the addition of Bi2O3, CuO, Li2CO3 and the variation of sintering temperature from 930℃ to 990℃. The XRD pattern of all specimens indicated general perovskite structure and the rhombohedral phase were observed. Curie temperature (Tc) of all specimens was observed in the vicinity of about 190℃. Density, coercive field and remnant polarization of the specimen sintered at 950℃ was 7.55 g/cm3, 8.895 kV/cm, 11.22 μC/㎠, respectively. EC effect of PLZT ceramics was measured by indirect method and the temperature change ΔT due to the electrocaloric effect was calculated by Maxwell’s relations. ΔT of ceramic sintered at 950℃ was 0.21℃ under application of 40 kV/cm at 190℃.

We fabricate a single particle-microcapsule type electronic paper using electrophoresis, which is different with a reported dual particle-microcapsule type and of which electro-optical researches are not reported. So we analyzed a basic properties, such as reflectivity, response time, and driving voltage. Our display panels having various cell-gaps of 30 ㎛, 34 ㎛, 38 ㎛, 42 ㎛, and 46 ㎛ are inspected. As a results, a driving voltage is defined to 10 V and desirable cell-gap is 30 ㎛ or 34 ㎛. Considering a mechanical strength, the optimum cell-gap is 34 ㎛ for the single particle type electronic paper.

In this study, in order to develop the composition ceramics with the excellent electrocaloric properties, (Pb0.88La0. 08)(Zr0.65Ti0.35)O3 ceramics were fabricated by the conventional solid-state method. Electrocaloric effects of (Pb0.88La0.08)(Zr 0.65Ti0.35)O3 ferroelectric ceramics were investigated and discussed using the characteristics of P-E hysteresis loops at wide temperature range from room temperature to 220 . The temperature change ΔT due to the electrocaloric effec t was calculated by Maxwell’s relations, and reached the maximum of 0.19 at 190 under applied electric field of 30 kV/cm.

In this work, in order to develop the ceramics with an excellent electrocaloric effect, [Bi0.5(Na0.84K0.16)0.5]TiO3 ceramics were fabricated by conventional solid state reaction method. The ceramics was observed as rhombohedral phase by X-ray diffraction patterns. To investigate the electrocaloric effect of the ceramics, P-E hysteresis loops were measured at various temperature. The temperature change ΔT of these ceramics was calculated using the Maxwell``s relations. The maximum value of temperature change ΔT was obtained as 0.3 1℃ at 165℃ under applied electric fields 45 kV/cm.

Cs3Sb photocathode was formed by newly developed process and successive in-situ lightingdevices were fabricated in a process chamber. R, G, and B phosphors were applied on the anode plate,respectively. Major parameters such as brightness, power consumption, and efficacy were measured. Thewavelength of LED excitation source was 450 nm. Both high power and low power modes were appliedin the measurement. Measurement values were clearly differentiated by the voltage application modes. The measured values of each parameter was good enough to be applied for general lighting source. Theresults showed that Cs3Sb photocathode formed in atmospheric conditions was functioning as good as thephotocathode formed in UHV conditions, and thus it could be applied to advanced lighting devices.

Photoemission is a process in which photons are converted into free electrons. Photocathodesare the typical materials for the process. They emit electrons when a light is irradiated upon. Thetraditional method of manufacturing photocathodes is complicated, requires specialized equipment, and islimited very small sized samples. Cs3Sb photocathode was formed on a substrate in   atmosphericconditions. The photocathode formation was a gas phase reaction with the substrate. Vacuum deviceswere made to test electron emission characteristics of the formed photocathode. Visible light ofwavelength 475 nm was used for the primary light source. The results showed high current density andlong term stability of the photoelectron emission.

Recently, various type of nanomaterials such as nanorod, nanowire, nanotube and their core/shell nanostructures have attracted much attention in photocatalyst due to their unique properties. Among them, Type-II core/shell heterostructures have extensively studied because it has exhibited improved electrical and optical properties against their single-component nanostructure. Such structures are expected to offer high absorption efficiency and fast charge transport due to their stepwised energetic combination and large internal surface area. Thus, it has been considered as potential candidates for high efficient photocatalytic activity. In this work, we introduce a novel chemical conversion process to synthesize Type-II ZnO/ZnSe core/shell heterostructures. A plausible conversion mechanism to ZnO/ZnS ecore/shell heterostructres was proposed based on SEM, XRD, TEM and XPS analysis. The ZnO/ZnSe heterostructures exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity toward the decomposition of RhB dye compared to the ZnO nanorod arrays due to enhanced light absorption and the type-II cascade band structure.

In this study, electrocaloric effects of Pb-free (Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Ti0.92Zr0.08)O3 ferroelectric ceramics were investigated and discussed using the characteristics of P-E hysteresis loops at wide temperature range from room temperature to 140℃. The remnant polarization Pr and coercive field Ec were decreased with increasing temperature. The temperature change ΔT by the electrcaloric effect was calculated by Maxwell`s relations, and reached the maximum of ∼0.15 at 120℃ under applied electric field of 30 kV/㎝.