<http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20051020-15205500-bc-us-quantumdots.xml>
Quantum dots may become next light bulb
NASHVILLE, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Vanderbilt University scientists in
Nashville, Tenn., say special microscopic beads called quantum dots
might soon become the successor to the light bulb.
Until now quantum dots have been known primarily for their ability to
produce a dozen different distinct colors of light simply by varying
the size of the individual nanocrystals: a capability particularly
suited to fluorescent labeling in biomedical applications.
But Vanderbilt chemists have discovered a way to make quantum dots
spontaneously produce broad-spectrum white light.
Current light bulbs are made of metal and glass using primarily
mechanical processes. Current LEDs are made using semiconductor
manufacturing techniques developed in the last 50 years.
But, if the quantum dot approach is successful, it could transform
lighting production into a primarily chemical process.
Such a fundamental change might open a wide range of possibilities,
such as making almost any object into a light source by coating it
with luminescent paint capable of producing light in a rainbow of
different shades, including white.
The Vanderbilt research is detailed in the online Journal of the
American Chemical Society.
