What are Quantum Dots? Invention explored as US-based scientists win Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Quantum dots (QDs) are defined as particles that are so tiny that their properties are determined by their size. They also have different colors depending on their size. The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to the three US-based scientists who developed the Quantum dots, Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus, and Alexei I. Ekimov.

Quantum dots are now used in QLED TVs, LED lamps, solar panels, and also in medical imaging used by surgeons. The Nobel laureates are all set to receive their shared $1 million award in a Stockholm ceremony on December 10, the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel.

78-year-old Alexei I. Ekimov was born in the former Soviet Union and is now working at Nanocrystals Technology Inc. in New York. Louis E. Brus is an 80-year-old Columbia University professor, while 62-year-old Moungi G. Bawendi is an MIT professor of French-Tunisian descent.

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Quantum Dots and their fascinating uses

According to a press release published on October 4, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus, and Alexei I. Ekimov, for "the discovery and development of quantum dots." The academy stated that the discovery "planted an important seed for nanotechnology."

According to the academy, the properties of an element are governed by the number of electrons it has, but once it shrinks down to "nano-dimensions," it gives rise to the quantum phenomena where the element's properties 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. The particles, which are called quantum dots, are now of great importance in nanotechnology," the press release read.

Dating back to the achievements of each of the laureates, it was in the early 1980s when Alexei Ekimov created "size-dependent quantum effects in colored glass." Louis Brus later proved the "size-dependent quantum effects in particles floating freely in a fluid." Moungi G. Bawendi in 1993, revolutionized high-quality chemical production of QDs, fit to be used in applications.

QDs are extremely tiny (nanoscale) man-made semiconductor crystals that have the ability to emit different colored light when exposed to energy. Their properties depend on their material, composition, size, and shape. Their size determines the color they produce when energized. The biggest-sized Quantum dots produce the color red while the smallest ones produce blue.

QDs are of tremendous use in the field of medicine. According to Nanowerk, they help scientists study cell processes at a single molecule level, which can help with the treatment of diseases like cancer. They are also used in high-resolution cellular imaging as active sensor elements and in passive label probes where selective receptor molecules fuse to their surface.

Apart from the medical field, QDs can also manufacture solar sales more efficiently by guaranteeing energy-saving manufacturing and inexpensive raw materials. They are also popularly used for the manufacturing of QLED monitors and TVs that provide a purer colored, more durable, and power-efficient display panel.

The Academy believes that this technology could bring even more revolutionary innovations and benefits like flexible electronics and encrypted quantum communication to humankind in the future. This is just the beginning of the humongous potential of Quantum Dots.