Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
기초과학연구원

South Korea

IBS was established in 2011 aiming at advancing the frontiers of knowledge and fostering leading scientists of tomorrow by pursuing excellence in basic science research. Since then, IBS has been providing infrastructure for long-term, large-scale, and group research as well as supporting autonomous research activities of researchers, focusing on exploration of creative knowledge.

As a basic science research institute representing Korea, IBS is running 28 Centers in physics, chemistry, mathematics, life sciences, and interdisciplinary areas as of late 2017 and planning to increase the number to 50. The institute’s main philosophy is to select a world renowned scientist as a Center’s director and create an environment where the director can concentrate on his/her own creative research. That is because IBS believes that creativity can be maximized when excellent researchers focus on conducting challenging research in an autonomous research environment.

IBS has been generating research outcomes that attract world-wide attention and was named one of Nature Index Rising Stars 2016. Despite a short history, the institute is standing shoulder to shoulder with international basic science research institutes. With the 2018 completion of its new headquarters designed as an urban science park, IBS will maximize merits of group and interdisciplinary research as well as bring IBS’ research capabilities together. It will more actively recruit young researchers at home and abroad with its expansion, heralding an even brighter future.

Since 2016, IBS has been operating Young Scientist Fellowship (YSF) under the slogan ‘Initiate your own research at IBS.’ YSF provides junior researchers with research autonomy and independence so that they can devote themselves to their work. Those selected can have access to IBS’ cutting-edge research infrastructure and equipment as well as can enjoy opportunities to grow through interdisciplinary research with outstanding IBS researchers.

1 February 2017 - 31 January 2018

Region: Global
Subject/journal group: All

The table to the right includes counts of all research outputs for Institute for Basic Science (IBS) published between 1 February 2017 - 31 January 2018 which are tracked by the Nature Index.

Hover over the donut graph to view the WFC output for each subject. Below, the same research outputs are grouped by subject. Click on the subject to drill-down into a list of articles organized by journal, and then by title.

Note: Articles may be assigned to more than one subject area.

AC	FC	WFC
260	64.65	64.42

Outputs by subject (WFC)

Subject	AC	FC	WFC
Physical Sciences	157	37.47	37.24
Chemistry	113	31.28	31.28
Life Sciences	48	10.79	10.79
Earth & Environmental Sciences	1	0.25	0.25

Highlight of the month

How a chemical ‘scooter’ catalyses a reluctant reaction

A sodium ‘scooter’ speeds along the making of new two-dimensional semiconductors

Ultrathin semiconductors can be made by sandwiching a layer of transition metal atoms, such as molybdenum (Mo) between layers of either sulphur (S), selenium (Se) or telluride (Te) atoms. Swapping atoms in the outer layers with one of the other elements, for example S to Se or vice versa, creates new electronic properties, but converting S or Se to Te is tricky as MoTe₂ breaks up at 700°C – lower than the temperature required for the conversion reaction. A team including researchers from the Institute for Basic Science grew wafers of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) and used a sodium (Na) ‘scooter’ to carry Te to replace S. The Na-scooter catalysed the reaction and reduced the reaction temperature to 525°C, creating a stable MoS₂-Te₂ alloy.

This speedy conversion technique could be used to fine tune the electrical properties of ultrathin semiconductors.

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