Yongha Kim’s Research Featured on the Cover of Soft Matter
This month, Soft Matter recognized the work of Yongha Kim and his collaborators by selecting their latest paper as the journal’s cover article.
The study, entitled “Effect of external salt solution concentration on carboxyl dissociation degree (α) and pKa of weak polyelectrolyte membranes for sustainable technologies” has been featured on the cover of Soft Matter.
Being selected for a cover feature underscores the impact and relevance of this work within the polymer science community.
This study deepens our understanding of dissociation in weakly charged polymer membranes—an important step toward designing materials with tunable transport properties for sustainability-focused applications. It represents one of the first systematic, film-based investigations conducted under precisely controlled external salt conditions, directly linking molecular-scale electrostatic interactions to macroscopic ionization behavior, including measurable pKa shifts.
Our findings show that salt-screened electrostatic interactions, rather than water swelling alone, primarily govern dissociation across 0–1 M NaCl. This work establishes a clear structure–property relationship and provides a quantitative physical framework for describing weak polyelectrolyte networks. More broadly, it offers a predictive, physics-based foundation for the rational design of next-generation charged membranes with tailored transport performance.
We are incredibly proud of Yongha and the entire team for their dedication and outstanding work. From thoughtful experimental design to rigorous data analysis, their collaboration reflects the innovation and creativity that define our lab. This cover recognition highlights both the strength of the science and the commitment behind it. Congratulations to everyone involved.
About our work
We design and create high-performance membranes that enable unprecedented separation opportunities. We pursue fundamental breakthroughs that translate into real-world applications, always seeking to bridge the microscopic understanding of materials with macroscopic performance. Our goal is to make separations systems cleaner, stronger, and more sustainable.
About the Oh Lab
At the Oh Lab, we are dedicated to advancing the world’s most important, but challenging, separations in the environment, energy, and health sector. We do this by focusing on the molecular-to-macroscopic design and characterization of polymer membranes. We work at the intersection of chemical engineering, materials science, and molecular transport, focusing on designing advanced polymer membranes for efficient chemical separation.