The 2023 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.
About quantum dots
- Quantum dots are nanoparticles which have wide-ranging applications across fields like electronics, advanced surgery, and quantum computing.
- Quantum dots are particles that are a few nanometres wide. When matter shrinks to nano-dimensions quantum phenomena arise; these are governed by the size of the matter.
- The Nobel Laureates in Chemistry 2023 have succeeded in producing particles so small that their properties are determined by quantum phenomena.
- Nobel laureates exhibit unique optical properties due to their small physical size.
- The properties of quantum dots can be changed by changing their size.
- At the scale of nanometres, materials and particles are capable of new, size-dependent properties because quantum physical forces start to dominate.
- Dr. Ekimov succeeded in creating size-dependent quantum effects in coloured glass.
- In 1983, Dr. Brus prepared similar crystals in a liquid solution, rather than in a glass. This allowed the researchers to better manipulate and study the crystals. These crystals also interacted with light differently depending on small variations in their size.
- In 1993, Dr. Bawendi and his coworkers developed a technique to make these quantum dots of well-defined sizes and with high optical quality.
Quantum dots applications
- To light computer monitors and television screens.
- Blue LEDs behind the screen excite these dots, causing them to emit light of different colours.
- To map biological tissues by biochemists.
- In photovoltaic cells to improve the absorption and efficiency in converting solar light into electricity.
- Certain cancer treatments use quantum dots for targeted drug delivery and other therapeutic measures.
- Wider applications in the field of nanomedicine too.
- Can be used as security markers on currency and documents as an anti-counterfeit measure.
- They can be used as fluorescent markers to tag and track objects.
