Dong-A University Chemical Engineering Research Team Selected for 'WISET Support Research Project for Female Graduate Student Engineering Research Teams'

Minyoung Chun Leads as Master's Student, with Undergraduate Participation from Jihwan Min and Juhui Choi
Development of Piezocatalytic Antibacterial Film Enables Bacterial Removal Even Without Light

Dong-A University (President Lee Haewoo) announced that a research team from the Department of Chemical Engineering has been finally selected for the ‘2025 Women Graduate Student Engineering Research Team Support Project’ by the Korea Foundation for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET).

Minyoung Chun, a master's student in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Dong-A University, currently participating in the BK21 FOUR (Brain Korea 21 Phase 4) project, will lead the research team, with undergraduate students Jihwan Min and Juhui Choi participating (supervised by Professor Suchul Yang). The team will conduct their research project for seven months, from April to October.

From the left, Minyoung Chun, master's student; Jihwan Min and Juhee Choi, undergraduate students; and supervising professor Sucheol Yang. Courtesy of Dong-A University

The research team plans to develop an eco-friendly and highly durable film that overcomes the limitations of existing antibacterial technologies, focusing on the development of a piezocatalytic-based antibacterial film. In particular, by implementing an antibacterial mechanism that does not require light, the film is gaining attention as a next-generation hygienic material capable of sustainable bacterial removal even in indoor environments.

The core of this research is to synthesize a lead-free BaTiO₃ (BTO) piezoelectric inorganic filler and manufacture a porous electrospun film by compounding it with PVDF (Polyvinylidene fluoride), a high-piezoelectric polymer.

In this process, the induced polarized charges on the film surface remove bacteria, and the technology is evaluated to have excellent uniformity, durability, and cost-effectiveness of antibacterial effects compared to existing photocatalyst or metal particle-based technologies.

Minyoung Chun stated, “I hope to contribute to solving hygiene issues in an aging society with antibacterial film technology that can be easily applied to infection-prone areas such as hospital door handles, keyboards, and elevator buttons.”

The Dong-A University research team plans to secure technological reliability through antibacterial effect tests (ISO 22196), durability tests (KS F 2274), and piezoelectric coefficient measurements. The research results will be presented at the Spring Conference of the Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, to be held in Jeju this June, along with a patent application.

This research is also linked to a ‘STEM Career Mentoring’ program for local youth. The research team plans to provide middle and high school students with hands-on opportunities such as laboratory tours and film-making experiences, thereby contributing to expanding the foundation for STEM careers.

Professor Suchul Yang, the supervising professor, said, “This research will present a new paradigm for antibacterial technology and serve as a good model that realizes both interdisciplinary convergence research and contribution to the local community.”