Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology

A research team  has succeeded in developing a non-flammable gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) that is set to revolutionize the safety of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) by mitigating the risks of thermal runaway and fire incidents. A collaborative research team, led by Professor Hyun-Kon Song in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST, Dr. Seo-Hyun Jung from Research Center for Advanced Specialty Chemicals at Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), and Dr. Tae-Hee Kim from the Ulsan Advanced Energy Technology R&D Center at Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in battery technology. Their remarkable achievement in developing a non-flammable gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) is set to revolutionize the safety of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) by mitigating the risks of thermal runaway and fire incidents. In the past, the potential flammability of LIBs has raised significant concerns, especially in electric vehicles, where fire hazards pose a serious threat to underground parking lots. Addressing this critical issue, the research team has successfully developed a groundbreaking non-flammable polymer semi-solid electrolyte, offering a promising solution to mitigate battery fires. Conventionally, non-flammable electrolytes have heavily relied on the incorporation of flame retardant additives or solvents with exceptionally high boiling points. However, these methods often resulted in a considerable decrease in ion conductivity, compromising the overall performance of the electrolyte. In their breakthrough research, the research team introduced a trace amount of polymer into the electrolyte, creating a semi-solid electrolyte. This novel approach dramatically increased the lithium ion conductivity by 33% compared to existing liquid electrolytes. Moreover, the pouch-type batteries incorporating this non-flammable semi-solid electrolyte exhibited a remarkable 110% improvement in life characteristics, effectively preventing unnecessary electrolyte reactions during the formation and operation of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer. The key advantage of this innovative electrolyte lies in its exceptional performance and non-combustibility. By suppressing radical chain reactions with fuel compounds during the combustion process, the polymer semi-solid electrolyte effectively inhibits the occurrence of battery fires. The research team demonstrated the excellence of the developed polymer by quantitatively analyzing its ability to stabilize and suppress radicals. Jihong Jeong (School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, UNIST) emphasized, "The interaction between the polymerized material inside the battery and volatile solvents allows us to effectively suppress radical chain reactions. Through electrochemical quantification, this breakthrough will greatly contribute to understanding the mechanism of non-flammable electrolytes." Co-first author Mideum Kim, a master student in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST and the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), further confirmed the exceptional safety of the battery itself through various experiments. The team's comprehensive approach included applying the non-flammable semi-solid electrolyte to pouch-type batteries, ensuring the evaluation of electrolyte non-combustibility extended to practical battery applications. "The research team's multidisciplinary composition, involving electrochemistry from UNIST, polymer synthesis from the KRICT Research Center for Advanced Specialty Chemicals, and battery safety testing by the Ulsan Advanced Energy Technology R&D Center at Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), has been instrumental in achieving this breakthrough," stated Professor Song. "The use of non-flammable semi-solid electrolytes, which can be directly incorporated into existing battery assembly processes, will accelerate the future commercialization of safer batteries." The research study has applied for five patents in Korea and two overseas, further highlighting the significance of this achievement. Additionally, it has been selected as a supplementary cover for ACS Energy Letters, with publication online on October 13, 2023. This study has been made possible through the support of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT), the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, and Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.

A research team succeeds in observing the difference in structural dynamics of one-nanometer single-molecules at room temperature. The new technology can be applied to the research on the cause and treatment of untreatable diseases in the future. The long-held dream of chemists to observe the structural dynamics of a single molecule have been now made possible. Single molecules sized about 1 nanometer (nm, 1 billionth of a meter) exist in a volatile state under ambient conditions. Considering that the Coronavirus, which is about 100 nm in size, spreads rapidly in the air shows how difficult it is to observe a single molecule. Recently, a Korean research team has discovered a reliable way to observe single molecules at room temperature by capping them with a thin insulating layer, like a blanket. The research team led by Professor Kyoung-Duck Park and PhD candidate Mingu Kang (Department of Physics) at POSTECH, in collaboration with Professor Yung Doug Suh (Department of Chemistry) at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), has successfully probed the conformation (arrangement of the atoms in a molecule) of individual single-molecules at room temperature for the first time, providing a closer look at the structural dynamics of a single molecule, which is the basic unit of all matters including humans. In-depth analysis using Raman scattering signals, known as the molecular "fingerprint," is difficult for the molecules exposed to air due to the continuous chemical reactions and molecular motions. Extremely low temperature (below -200 °C) and vacuum conditions have been widely used for the single-molecule studies to prevent the aforementioned issues, yet the configurations have many limitations in terms of technical difficulties and environmental conditions. To overcome this, the research team placed a single molecule on a substrate coated with a thin film of gold and covered it with a very thin layer of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and tightly bound it. The molecule trapped between the gold and aluminum oxide layers is isolated from its surroundings, which lead to suppressed chemical reactions and molecular motions. The immobilized molecule is then observed through the ultrasensitive tip-enhanced nanoscopy developed by the research team. Using the method allows for the precise detection of weak optical signals of a single molecule, owing to the optical antenna effect of the sharp metal tip. Through this, the resolution limit of a general optical microscopy (approximately 500 nm) was overcome to clearly distinguish the conformational heterogeneity of 1 nm-sized single-molecules and verify whether they are vertically standing or horizontally laying. Mingu Kang of POSTECH mentioned, "Whilst the James Webb Space Telescope can observe the farthest point of the observable universe to reveal the universe's origin, our nanoscopy for single-molecules observes the smallest unit to reveal the origin of life." The work can reveal the molecular conformation of proteins and DNA with a nanometer-level resolution, which leads to the identification of the cause of incurable diseases and the development of treatments for such conditions. Additionally, covering a sample with a thin layer can be easily applied at room temperature or even higher temperatures for single-molecule studies and their applications because of its straightforward process. Professor Geunsik Lee and researchers Elham Oleiki and Huitae Joo from UNIST, Dr. Hyunwoo Kim and Dr. Taeyong Eom from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), and PhD candidates Yeonjeong Koo and Hyungwoo Lee in the Department of Physics at POSTECH participated in the research. The study was recently published in Nature Communications and was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea.

VIENNA and SEONGNAM, South Korea, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bridge Biotherapeutics (KQ288330), a South Korean clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel drugs for cancer, fibrosis and inflammation, announced promising interim clinical data from its Phase I study of BBT-176, a fourth-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR TKI). The data, presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer (IASLC WCLC 2022), show promising early evidence of efficacy and favorable tolerability in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The oral presentation delivered by Sun Min Lim, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor at Yonsei University College of Medicine, discussed the correlation between molecular response and radiologic response in patient participants in the study. One patient with advanced NSCLC showing C797S triple mutations, confirmed as one of the partial response (PR) cases, showed up to 53 percent decrease of EGFR mutant allele frequency compared to the baseline. Data from the five patients who had been treated with BBT-176 over 100 days suggested that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis enabled with liquid biopsy may be useful not only in identifying those most likely to benefit from fourth-generation EGFR TKI treatments such BBT-176, but also monitoring therapeutic response with treatment of a fourth-generation EGFR TKI. The study also confirmed the preliminary efficacy of BBT-176 in treating advanced NSCLC patients harboring an EGFR mutation who had previously been treated with at least one EGFR TKI. Adverse events were primarily low grade, with GI toxicities and skin rash being most common, necessitating dose modifications in some patients. The pharmacokinetic profile of BBT-176 was shown to be dose-proportional in the study. As the study continues, investigators will explore the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) based on the overall safety, efficacy and tolerability information collected. Upon determination of the RP2D, investigators are expected to initiate the Phase 2 study next year. Session and Presentation Information Title: BBT-176, a 4th-generation EGFR TKI, for Progressed NSCLC after EGFR TKI Therapy: PK, Safety and Preliminary Efficacy from Phase 1 Study Session Title: Overcoming Resistance to EGFR Inhibitors Session Number: MA07.09 Presentation Session: August 8, 2022, 12:52 pm CET Presenting Author: Sun Min Lim, M.D., Ph.D., Yonsei University College of Medicine Session Discussant: Pasi A. Jänne, M.D., Ph.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute About Bridge Biotherapeutics, Inc. Bridge Biotherapeutics Inc., based in the Republic of Korea, US, and China, is a publicly-traded, clinical-stage biotech company founded in 2015. Bridge Biotherapeutics is engaged in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics, focusing on therapeutic areas with high unmet needs including ulcerative colitis, fibrotic diseases, and cancers. The company is developing BBT-401, a first-in-class Pellino-1 inhibitor for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, BBT-877, a novel autotaxin inhibitor for the treatment of fibrotic diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and BBT-176, a potent targeted cancer therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with C797S triple EGFR mutations. About BBT-176 BBT-176 is under development as a novel, fourth-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) that inhibits the signaling pathway of EGFR with C797S containing triple mutations. In April 2021, the company initiated the dose escalation part of its Phase I/II trial, which is being conducted in three sites in the Republic of Korea. The study has been assessing the safety, tolerability, and anti-tumor efficacy of the drug candidate in a group of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. After determining the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D), the dose expansion study will be initiated in both the U.S. and the Republic of Korea. It is estimated about 10,000 to 20,000 new NSCLC patients will be diagnosed each year with EGFR triple mutations by the mid-2030s. BBT-176 is currently the first-in-class, fourth-generation EGFR TKI candidate targeting C797S triple mutation variants. Bridge Biotherapeutics acquired the exclusive global license for BBT-176 from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), a Korean government research institute, in 2018. The Phase I clinical study of BBT-176 was partially supported by the Korea Drug Development Fund (HN21C0859), which is funded by Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Ministry of Health and Welfare, of Republic of Korea.