A study initiated by graduate student Narayan Gyawali in the Department of Chemistry at Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) (advisor Professor Jae‑Ryang Han) was selected as the Front Cover Art of the November 5 issue of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, a world‑renowned journal published by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

This study expands the application potential of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), which were awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry. By using a copper‑based MOF to precisely control the phase of copper oxide within amorphous carbon nanotubes, the researchers demonstrated an innovative result that simultaneously improved the efficiency and stability of water‑electrolysis catalysts.

The study provides a significant breakthrough for the development of next‑generation electrodes for environmentally friendly hydrogen production and demonstrates its potential to make a practical contribution to clean energy transition technologies.

The research was carried out with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea's Regional Outstanding Scientist Program and the BK21 Plus program. The reviewers praised it as 'a study demonstrating both strong fundamental scientific rigor and excellent application potential.'