About

Jinsang Kim is the Raoul Kopelman Collegiate Professor of Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan, with a background in fiber and polymer science from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering with a focus on polymers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research interests encompass the molecular design, synthesis, modification, and self-assembly of smart polymers for biomedical and optoelectronic applications. His work includes the development of biosensors, bio-microarrays, and bio-/synthetic hybrid systems aimed at improving sensitivity and selectivity for clinically important biological materials. Additionally, he investigates conjugated polymers for plastic electronics, focusing on structure-property relationships to enhance charge mobility, stability, and fabrication versatility for devices such as transistors, solar cells, and LEDs. His research also extends to organic phosphors, where he has developed molecular design principles to create highly efficient organic phosphorescent materials with tunable emission properties. Dr. Kim's extensive background includes postdoctoral research at Caltech and research scientist positions at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. He has received numerous awards, including the 2025 Raoul Kopelman Collegiate Professorship, the 2019 Holt Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the 2002 ACS ICI Award in Applied Polymer Science, among others.

Research topics

• Optoelectronics
• Nanotechnology
• Materials science
• Physics
• Computer Science
• Chemistry
• Engineering
• Chemical physics
• Composite material
• Optics
• Atomic physics
• Photochemistry
• Condensed matter physics
• Nuclear physics
• Quantum mechanics
• Electrical engineering
• Organic chemistry
• Mechanical engineering

Selected publications

• A QCM-Based Biosensor to Detect HIT-like Antibodies: Differentiating KKO from RTO via FcγRIIA Interactions

  Analytical Chemistry · 2025-07-30 · 1 citations

  article

  Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a serious side effect that occurs in patients undergoing heparin therapy. The known risk factor is the presence of antibodies created against platelet factor 4 and heparin complexes (PF4/heparin) in the blood, which activate platelet Fc receptors (FcγRIIA). Although immunoassays have been developed for HIT diagnosis, their specificity remains low (∼50%) due to the binding of nonpathogenic antibodies to the same antigen (PF4/heparin). As a result, a lack of rapid, highly sensitive, and selective diagnostic tests poses challenges for HIT treatment. In this study, we used monoclonal HIT-like KKO antibodies as a model and demonstrated a rapid biosensor based on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) that effectively distinguishes the pathogenic (KKO) from nonpathogenic (RTO) antibodies within 10 min. Based on our key finding, KKO and RTO present clear binding affinity differences against FcγRIIA: RTO binds to FcγRIIA while KKO can bind to FcγRIIA only in the presence of PF4/heparin. The determined negative zeta potentials of proteins confirmed that the observed affinity differences toward FcγRIIA result from specific binding rather than nonselective electrostatic interactions. This highlights the potential use of FcγRIIA as an antigen instead of traditional PF4/heparin complexes. Although only a monoclonal HIT-like antibody was tested, the use of FcγRIIA to distinguish the binding patterns of KKO and RTO could be extended to the detection of human HIT antibodies.

  PublisherDOI

• Deterministic Structural Distortion in Mn²⁺-Doped Layered Hybrid Lead Bromide Perovskite Single Crystals

  ACS Nano · 2025-07-17 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  Dilute magnetic doping in wide-bandgap semiconductors has attracted significant interest due to its potential for tailored optical, spintronic, and spin-photonic properties. While extensive research has explored the optical and magnetic properties of these doped systems, the exact nature of dopant-induced structural properties, particularly in high-quality single crystals, requires further investigation. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of Mn2+-doped (BA)2PbBr4 (BA=butylammonium) single crystals with well-defined crystal habits and no grain boundaries, enabling controlled investigation into significant crystal deformation as a function of Mn2+ incorporation. Structural analysis provides compelling evidence of crystal distortion, manifested by a smooth transition from square nanoplatelets to parallelogram shapes with an in-plane shear distortion of up to ∼6° and an out-of-plane contraction of 9.7% for the highest 4.95% Mn2+ concentration. This magnitude of structural change significantly exceeds the typical range observed in doped semiconductors by an order of magnitude. We show, using density functional theory calculations, that the structural distortion upon doping is driven by a thermodynamic energy gain. Static and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy confirms the successful incorporation of Mn2+ with characteristic emission at 600 nm with an approximate 0.3 ms radiative lifetime. The uniform incorporation of Mn2+ into the host medium is further corroborated by the hyperfine structure in an electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum and the paramagnetic response in superconducting quantum interference device measurements. These findings offer crucial insights into dopant-induced structural modifications, supporting the rational design of dilute magnetic semiconductors for spin-based information technologies.

  PublisherDOI

• Polydopamine‐Assisted Electroless Deposition of Magnetic Functional Coatings for 3D‐Printed Microrobots

  Advanced Intelligent Systems · 2025-01-30 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Magnetic microrobots are attractive tools for operation in confined spaces due to their small size and untethered wireless operation, particularly in biomedical and environmental applications. Over years of development, many microrobot fabrication methods have been developed; however, they typically require costly specialized physical vapor deposition (PVD) vacuum instrumentation and present homogeneity and conformality coating problems (especially in complex 3D structures). Herein, a solution‐based polydopamine (PDA)‐assisted electroless deposition method is developed to deposit a superparamagnetic nickel thin film on microrobots. The multilayered functional film design comprises PDA as an adhesive primer and reducing agent, silver nanoclusters as catalysts, and a nickel magnetic top film, all deposited in a batch solution‐based process on glass and 3D‐printed polymer substrates. This multilayer magnetic coating is implemented and demonstrated in three magnetic microrobot archetypes, including arbitrarily‐shaped active particles, microrollers, and helical swimming microrobots, each using distinct actuation working mechanisms. Due to the material‐independent interfacial adhesive properties of PDA, this multilayer functionalization strategy can open up new magnetic microrobot fabrication schemes with a broad compatibility with materials and structures (including complex 3D‐printed polymer microstructures) and without the need for and limitations of PVD coating approaches.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Social and Financial Performance Management in Mission-Driven Firms*

  Korean Accounting Review · 2025-12-31

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Noninvasive Detection of Chorioretinal Hypoxia via Poly(lactic<i>‐co</i>‐glycolic acid) Nanoparticles Embedded with Purely Organic Phosphors

  Advanced NanoBiomed Research · 2025-01-26 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Ischemia‐induced hypoxia is a critical complication in retinal diseases, leading to significant vision impairment and blindness due to disrupted blood flow and oxygen delivery. Currently, there is no effective method to assess oxygen levels in extravascular retinal tissue. Traditional hypoxia detection methods, such as oxygen‐sensitive microelectrodes, magnetic resonance imaging, and retinal oximetry, have limitations including invasiveness, low spatial resolution, and lack of real‐time monitoring. Herein, a noninvasive hypoxia detection method is proposed by utilizing lipid‐polymer nanoparticles (NPs) with purely organic room‐temperature phosphorescence materials for real‐time detection with high spatial and temporal resolution. To enhance biocompatibility and efficacy, NPs were fabricated using biodegradable poly(lactic ‐co ‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) and SeCO as a phosphor. PLGA degrades into nontoxic by‐products, while the excitation wavelength of SeCO at 393 nm minimizes damage from short wavelengths and enhances tissue penetration. Furthermore, the NPs’ size is optimized to improve cellular uptake and reduce bodily accumulation, as smaller NPs are preferred for biocompatibility. Herein, synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of these PLGA‐based phosphorescent NPs in rabbit models of retinal vein occlusion and choroidal vascular occlusion are involved. This approach represents a significant advancement in noninvasive biomedical imaging, improving the diagnosis and management of ischemic retinal diseases.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Societal Trust and Income Smoothing

  Australian Accounting Review · 2025-01-02 · 5 citations

  article

  This paper investigates the effect of societal trust on information communication between managers and outside investors, focusing on income smoothing as a communication channel. Using a large cross‐country sample, we find that firms in more trusting countries are less likely to use income smoothing to signal their private information (‘informational smoothing’). This finding suggests that societal trust attenuates investors’ concern of moral hazard and diminishes their demand for firms’ private information, while managers respond to this change in information demand by reducing the extent of informational smoothing. We also find that the negative impact of societal trust on informational smoothing is less pronounced in countries with stronger formal institutions, indicating that trust serves as a substitute for formal institutions. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of the different impacts of societal trust on various forms of information communication tools and the variations in the informational aspects of income smoothing practices worldwide.

  PublisherDOI

• Author response for "Color-tunable, high-dissymmetry circularly polarized phosphorescence in purely organic chiral nematic phases"

  2025-08-13

  peer-reviewSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Elucidating the molecular structural origin of efficient emission across solid and solution phases of single benzene fluorophores

  Nature Communications · 2025-07-01 · 5 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Achieving high quantum yields for organic fluorophores in both solution and in the polycrystalline solid state is a significant yet challenging goal, as most fluorophores typically emit effectively in only one phase. In this study, we introduce 1,1’-(2,5-dimethoxyterephthaloyl)-bis(glutraimide) (TGlu), a novel ‘single benzene’-based organic fluorophore featuring an alkoxy donor and an N-acyl-glutarimide acceptor. TGlu achieves close-to-unity fluorescence quantum yields in both solution and in the polycrystalline state. Through systematic studies involving four additional structural analogues of TGlu, we unveiled that the acceptor group within the single benzene core plays a crucial steric and electronic role in achieving high fluorescence efficiency in both phases. Furthermore, we demonstrated the versatility of this new fluorophore in various applications. In solution, TGlu serves as a highly effective photocatalyst for photoinduced energy/electron transfer reversible addition−fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization while in its single-crystal form, TGlu exhibits highly efficient waveguiding properties. Fluorophores typically emit either in solution or in solid state due to several distinct effects. Here, the authors design a single-benzene fluorophore with efficient emission in both phases, enabling applications in photocatalysis and optical waveguiding.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Polydopamine Adhesion: Catechol, Amine, Dihydroxyindole, and Aggregation Dynamics

  ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces · 2024-06-05 · 45 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  While polydopamine (PDA) possesses the surface-independent adhesion property of mussel-binding proteins, significant differences exist between them. Particularly, PDA’s short and rigid backbone differs from the long and flexible protein sequence of mussel-binding proteins. Given that adhesion relies on achieving a conformal contact with large surface coverage, PDA has drawbacks as an adhesive. In our study, we investigated the roles of each building block of PDA to build a better understanding of their binding mechanisms. Initially, we anticipated that catecholamine oligomers form specific binding with substrates. However, our study showed that the universal adhesion of PDA is initiated by the solubility limit of growing oligomers by forming agglomerates, complemented by multiple binding modes of catechol. Notably, in the absence of amines, poly(catechol) either remained in solution or formed minor suspensions without any surface coating, underscoring the essential role of amines in the adhesion process by facilitating insoluble aggregate formation. To substantiate our findings, we induced poly(catechol) aggregation using quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) (qPVP), leading to subsequent surface adhesion upon agglomerate formation.

  PublisherDOI

• Conjugation through Si–O–Si bonds, silsesquioxane (SQ) half cage copolymers, extended examples <i>via</i> SiO_0.5/SiO_1.5 units: multiple emissive states in violation of Kasha's rule

  Dalton Transactions · 2024-01-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  red-shifts as another indication of conjugation. Further, one- and two-photon absorption and emission spectroscopy reveals multiple excited fluorescence-emitting states in a violation of Kasha's rule wherein emission occurs only from the lowest excited state. Traditional modeling studies again find HOMO LUMO energy levels residing only on the aromatic co-monomers rather than through Si-O-Si bonds as recently found in related polymers.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• SST: Highly sensitive, selective, self-signal amplifying molecular DNA sensors

  NSF · $691k · 2004–2007

• CAREER: Self-Signaling and Signal Amplifying Conjugated Polymer Biosensors and Sensor Arrays

  NSF · $433k · 2007–2013

• Defect Structures and Properties of Liquid Crystalline Polymer Semiconductors

  NSF · $345k · 2008–2011

• Tunable Polymer-Graphene Oxide Composite for Single Cell Analysis of Breast Cancer CTCs & CSCs

  NIH · $300k · 2016–2017

Frequent coauthors

• Seung‐Hyub Baek

  Korea Institute of Science and Technology

  61 shared

• Seong Keun Kim

  Korea Institute of Science and Technology

  42 shared

• Do Hyun Kang

  37 shared

• Won‐Kyung Cho

  University of Ulsan

  36 shared

• Kyeongwoon Chung

  Kyungpook National University

  31 shared

• Wenhao Shao

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  30 shared

• Sungbaek Seo

  Pusan National University

  30 shared

• Bong‐Gi Kim

  Konkuk University

  30 shared

Labs

• Van Vlack LabPI

Education

• Postdoctoral Scholar, Chemical Engineering

  California Institute of Technology

  2003

• Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  2001

• Master, Fiber and Polymer Science

  Seoul National University

  1993

• BS, Fiber and Polymer Science

  Seoul National University

  1991

Awards & honors

• Raoul Kopelman Collegiate Professor of Science and Engineeri…
• Holt Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of Michiga…
• Monroe-Brown Foundation Research Excellent Award (2016)
• D. B. Robinson Distinguished Lecture, Univ. of Alberta (2016…
• MSE Outstanding Accomplishment Award, Col. of Eng., Univ. of…