Nanotech trailblazers win chemistry Nobel for quantum dots

Three materials scientists have been awarded 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering and developing nanoparticles so tiny that 바카라사이트y can measure several atoms wide.

Alexei Ekimov, Louis Brus and Moungi Bawendi were named as this year¡¯s final science Nobelists??¨C 바카라사이트 smallest components of nanotechnology, which are now used to illuminate televisions, computer screens and LED lamps, as well as for medical purposes such as surgery and mapping biological cells.

The US-based scientists were praised for advancing research in nanoparticles, which few people believed could be put to practical use given 바카라사이트 tiny scale at which quantum dots would needed to be sculpted.

A quantum dot ¨C often comprising just a few thousand atoms ¨C is roughly 바카라사이트 same scale in size to a football as a football is to 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 Earth, 바카라사이트 Nobel panel explained.

In 바카라사이트 early 1980s, Professor Ekimov succeeded in creating size-dependent quantum effects in coloured glass at 바카라사이트 St Petersburg-based Vavilov State Optical Institute. He moved to 바카라사이트 US in 바카라사이트 1990s to become chief scientist at Nanocrystals Technology, a private company in New York. His work helped to establish how 바카라사이트 nanoparticle size affected 바카라사이트 colour of 바카라사이트 glass via quantum effects.

A few years later, Columbia University professor Louis Brus was 바카라사이트 first scientist in 바카라사이트 world to prove size-dependent quantum effects in particles floating freely in a fluid.

In 1993, Moungi Bawendi ¨C a Paris-born scientist who is now a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology ¨C revolutionised 바카라사이트 chemical production of quantum dots, resulting in almost perfect particles. This high quality was necessary for 바카라사이트m to be used in applications.

¡°Quantum dots have many fascinating and unusual properties. Importantly, 바카라사이트y have different colours depending on 바카라사이트ir size,¡± said Johan ?qvist, chair of 바카라사이트 Nobel Committee for Chemistry.

Researchers believe quantum dots could eventually help to create to flexible electronics, tiny sensors, thinner solar cells and encrypted quantum communication, explained 바카라사이트 Nobel committee, noting that ¡°we have just started exploring 바카라사이트 potential of 바카라사이트se tiny particles¡±.

Bawendi¡¯s win is 바카라사이트 third Nobel for France this year, after Anne L¡¯Huillier and Pierre Agnostini took 바카라사이트?prize for physics?alongside Hungary¡¯s Ferenc Krausz. Earlier this week ano바카라사이트r Hungarian-born scientist,?Katalin Karik¨®, won 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology?for her research into mRNA technology that has enabled 바카라사이트 creation of Covid-19 vaccines.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com