Eco-friendly Photoenergy Application Laboratory
Eco-friendly Photoenergy Application Laboratory @ KENTECH
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최원용 교수 Wonyong Choi, Ph.D.


Director & Distinguished Professor

Environmental & Climate Technology,
Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH),
21 Kentech-gil, Naju, Jeonnam 58330, Rep. of Korea

Tel : +82-61-320-9237
Fax : +82-61-333-9627
Email: wchoi@kentech.ac.kr
ORCID : http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1801-9386 i Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonyong_Choi


최원용 교수 Wonyong Choi, Ph.D.


Distinguished Professor & Director

KENTECH Institute for Environmental and Climate Technology,
Korea Institute of Energy Technology(KENTECH),
200 Hyeoksin-ro, Naju, Jeonnam 58330, Rep. of Korea

Tel : +82-61-330-9689
Fax :
Email : wchoi@kentech.ac.kr
Research Networking Link
>> Web of Science >> Google Scholar
W. Choi's CV
Curriculum Vitae (in English) Download Curriculum Vitae (in Korean) Download

Education
Ph. D. (1996. 6) Environmental Chemistry, California Institute of Technology (CALTECH) (Pasadena, CA, USA)
M. S. (1990. 2) Physical Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) (Pohang, Korea)
B. S. (1988. 2) Chemical Technology, Seoul National University (Seoul, Korea)
Professional Career
2022.2 - present Distinguished Professor & Director, Center for Environmental & Climate Technology, Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH)
Research area, Semiconductor photo(electro)catalysis for environmental and energy applications; Solar fuels & Artificial photosynthesis (H2 production, CO2 conversion); Photochemical purification of water and air; Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs); Environmental (photo)chemistry; Ice chemistry; Environmental redox processes
1998.2 - 2022.1 Professor, Division of Environmental Science and Engineering (also at Dept. of Chemical Engineering in 2008.6-2022.1), POSTECH (served as the Division Head in 2016.1-2021.11)
2020.1 - present Editor-in-Chief, ACS ES&T Engineering
2020.6 – present Director Leading Researcher Project (National Research Foundation of Korea)
2017.4 - 2019.12 Associate Editor, Environmental Science & Technology
2008.2 - 2017.3 Editor, Journal of Hazardous Materials (Elsevier)
1996.6 – 1998.2 Postdoctoral Scholar, NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Atmospheric Chemistry Research Element, Earth and Space Sciences Division
Research area: Research area: Laboratory kinetic studies of heterogeneous atmospheric chemical reactions
2020.7 - present Editorial Advisory Panel, Nature Sustainability
2008.5 – present Editorial Advisory board, Energy and Environmental Science
2017.3 - present

Editorial Advisory board, ACS Earth and Space Chemistry
2015.2 – 2017.3 Editorial Advisory board, Environmental Science & Technology
2009.1 – 2011.12 Editorial Advisory board, Journal of Physical Chemistry
Awards and Honors
2025–2019 Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate Analytics)
2024 Korea Toray Science and Technology Prize
2024 KENTECH Award for Research Excellence
2024 Elected as International member of U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE)
2024 Guest Professor (2024.01–2026.12), Zhejiang Univ., China
2023 Hyundai E&C, Technology Contest Award
2023 Chair Professor (2023.7–2026.6), Xi’an Jiaotong Univ., China
2023 Elected as Member, National Academy of Engineering of Korea (NAEK)
2020 Proud Postechian Award (Research)
2020 Doosan Yonkang Environment Award
2019 Academic Award, Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
2018 Korea Engineering Award
2017 Environment & Energy Award, Korean Chemical Society (KCS)
2017 Invited Visiting Professor (2017.4–2022.4); Guangdong Univ. of Technol., China
2015 KAST Science and Technology Award
2014 KIST Excellent Researcher Award
2014 Elected as Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC)
2014 Elected as Member of Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST)
2012 Namgo (Jong-Ryul Lee) Chair Professor, POSTECH
2012 Pohang MBC–Samil Munhwa Special Award
2011 Invited Visiting Professor (Sept. 19–24, 2011); University Lille 1, France
2011 Awardee of “Rising Star” Faculty Special Support Program (POSTECH)
2011 Erudite Visiting Professor (Feb. 7–12, 2011); Kerala State Higher Education Council/Mahatma Gandhi University (Kottayam, Kerala, India)
2008 Lectureship Award for Asian and Oceanian Photochemist (Japanese Photochemistry Association)
2006 LG Yonam Research Fellow
2005 Young Scientist Award (KAST; Ministry of Science & Technology; presented by the president of the Republic of Korea)
2003 Elected as Associate Member of Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST)
2001 Best Paper Award, Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
1988 President of SNU Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Engineering Students
Research Interests
- Semiconductor photocatalysis for environmental and energy applications
- Solar fuel production, artificial photosynthesis
- Development of visible light active photocatalysts
- Photochemical purification of water and air
- Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs)
- Environmental (photo)chemistry
- Ice (photo)chemistry
- Redox processes of environmental significance