Associate Director BAIK Mu-Hyun of the IBS Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalizations wins the POSCO TJ Park Prize. The POSCO TJ Park Foundation announced his nomination, commending Baik for being a pioneer in chemical synthesis with novel discoveries enough to have scientists rewrite the textbooks.

▲ Associate Director BAIK Mu-Hyun of the IBS Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalizations

Baik is an eminent chemist, especially in computational chemistry. Interest of his research includes i) to discover the principle behind the chemical reaction that occurs when a transition metal catalyst is used as the medium and ii) to develop better performing catalysts. In 2016, Dr. Baik predicted the iridium catalyst candidates that can activate methane gas, which is readily available in our daily lives, but hard to obtain for its stability, with computational chemistry.^** Kyle T. Smith, Simon Berritt, Mariano González-Moreiras, Seihwan Ahn, Milton R. Smith III, Mu-Hyun Baik, Daniel J. Mindiola; Catalytic borylation of methane; Science, DOI: http://10.1126/science.aad9730

In 2020, Baik also proved that one electrode can fit all functional groups, which vary the electronic property of the molecular, just with the switch of its voltage.^** The gold electrode serving as a “universal functional group” is deemed as a revolutionary discovery that may transform the existing paradigm in chemistry as well as in the industry.** Joon Heo, Hojin Ahn, Joonghee Won, Jin Gyeong Son, Hyun Kyong Shon, Tae Geol Lee, Sang Woo Han, and Mu-Hyun Baik. Electro-inductive effect: electrodes as functional groups with tunable electronic properties. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.abb6375

The purpose of the POSCO TJ Park Prize is to contribute to the advancement of the nation by expanding public attention and participation in the company’s founding principles: creativity, nurturing talent, and philanthropy. The prize is categorized into four: Science Prize, Education Prize, Community Development & Philanthropy Prize, and Technology Prize and has been awarded since 2007. As of 2020, 48 Koreans and Asians have received the prize.