U.S. scientists Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov were awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for “the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.” Photo by Claudio Bresciani/EPA-EFE
Oct. 4 (UPI) — Three U.S. scientists who helped usher in practical use for nanotechnology that can now be seen in everything from television monitors to LED lamps won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Wednesday.
Moungi G. Bawendi, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Louis E. Brus, of Columbia University; and Alexei I. Ekimov, of Nanocrystals Technology Inc., in New York, shared the award for their work in the discovery and development of quantum dots.
Quantum dots are nanoparticles so tiny that their size determines their properties. Their light is found in QLED television screens and monitors and LED lamps and can also guide surgeons when they remove tumor tissue, among other things.
“The Nobel Laureates in Chemistry 2023 have succeeded in producing particles so small that their properties are determined by quantum phenomena,” the academy said. “The particles, which are called quantum dots, are now of great importance in nanotechnology.”
Ekimov succeeded in creating size-dependent quantum effects in colored glass in the 1980s. The color came from nanoparticles of copper chloride and Ekimov demonstrated that the particle size affected the color of the glass via quantum effects.
Brus was the first scientist in the world to prove size-dependent quantum effects in particles floating freely in a fluid. In 1993, Bawendi revolutionized the chemical production of quantum dots, resulting in almost perfect particles so they can be utilized in applications.
“Quantum dots have many fascinating and unusual properties,” Johan Aqvist, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said in a statement. “Importantly, they have different colors depending on their size.”
