Although organic radicals can be used in various areas due to their oxidation and reduction reactivity and near-infrared ray absorption, including catalysts, sensors, and electrochemical energy storage, they are unstable, making it difficult to develop materials containing radicals. Plus, once they cease to exist, they require a high energy level for reintroduction.

Professor Jinhee Park's study intends to utilize radical π-stacks formed through stabilizing a radical as a building block to suggest further a method for synthesizing a new radical-preferred framework. The unique charge separation of radical materials increases their ability to adsorb guest molecules and can be used as a catalyst that enables the continued generation of ROS without any irradiation.

This project is expected to play a leading role in the development of a self-assembled organic radical-porous platform, which is a new area that is yet to be preempted elsewhere in the world. Developing new materials and analytical methods that exhibit high chemical, photoreactivity, and conductivity will be meaningful achievements in related academic research.