Enjoy a welcome from Dean Christopher A. Schuh and other McCormick leaders, and receive a Northwestern Engineering T-shirt. A free lunch on the Tech East Plaza will follow.

Fall Classes Begin. Change of Registration (Drop/Add) Late registration for returning students begins

Solution-Processed 2D Materials for Next-Generation Electronics

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have emerged as promising building blocks for electronic applications, owing to their diverse and remarkable electrical properties. Over the past decade, solution-based processing—including both direct exfoliation and intercalation-based exfoliation—has been widely regarded as a viable route for the large-scale production of 2D materials. However, the resulting morphology of the nanosheets is highly dependent on the processing method, which is a key factor in minimizing sheet-to-sheet contact resistance by enabling the formation of high-quality van der Waals interfaces. In this talk, I will present our latest advances in the van der Waals assembly of 2D materials for scalable electronic applications. Our approach utilizes a molecular intercalation-assisted electrochemical exfoliation technique to produce 2D materials with distinct electronic properties, including metals, semiconductors, and insulators. These materials can then be integrated into a range of electronic devices, such as transistors, diodes, logic gates, and photodetectors. Furthermore, our solution-based strategy enables printing-based device fabrication without the need for conventional patterning processes.

Joohoon Kang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Yonsei University. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in materials science and engineering from Yonsei University in Korea in 2009 and 2011, respectively, and his Ph.D. degree in materials science and engineering from Northwestern University in 2018 under the supervision of Prof. Mark Hersam. He then moved to the University of California at Berkeley as a postdoctoral in the College of Chemistry. Before joining Yonsei University in 2025, he was an Assistant and Associate Professor in the School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University since 2019. His research interests include synthesis, processing, and electronic and energy applications of nanomaterials. In particular, he has focused on solution-based processing of low-dimensional nanomaterials for scalable functional electronics. His research has been widely recognized with several awards including the Korean Prime Minister’s Commendation (2025), APAM Associate Academician (2025), SID Young Leader Award (2025), National R&D Excellence 100 in Korea (2024), Young Investigator Award from Korean Graphene Society (2024), and GCIM Early Career Award from MRS-K (2024). He serves as an Advisory Board Member in the Division of International Affairs, National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea.

The NU MRSEC will participate in the annual Science Works community event hosted at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry on Saturday, October 11, 2025.

The NU MRSEC will host a Jr. Science Cafe (4th-8th graders) in partnership with the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry on Thursday, October 16, 2025.

The ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 13 in Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive.

The NU MRSEC will host a seminar given by Connor Bischak on Monday, December 15, 2025 in Ryan Hall 4003.