Guest_Jim_* Posted July 20, 2015 Posted July 20, 2015 Getting the best of both worlds is a hard thing to achieve, in many cases, but not impossible if you work hard enough at it. This has been proven at the University of Toronto where researchers have combined colloidal quantum dots with perovskite to create a very efficient LED technology. Quantum dots are sometimes referred to as designer molecules, because many of their properties, including the light they absorb and emit, can be tuned to the desired frequencies. Perovskites are a group of material that can be easily made in solution and have useful electrical properties, including good conductivity and resilience to defects. Combining these two crystals is not as easy as just mixing a couple solutions together because the ends of the crystals have to neatly connect. To achieve this, the researchers first grow a scaffold around the quantum dot, as the scaffold causes the perovskite to align the desired way for it to connect with the dot. The result is a hybrid crystal that efficiently feeds a quantum dot the energy needed to produce the desired frequency of light. Possible applications for this work include infrared LEDs for night vision, biomedical imaging, and high speed communications. The applications will almost certainly not stop there though, especially as both of these materials are also of interest for absorbing light; not just emitting them. Source: University of Toronto Back to original news post Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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