3 U.S. scientists win Nobel Prize in chemistry for discovery of quantum dots

Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Three U.S. scientists who helped usher in practical use for nanotechnology that can now be seen in everything from television monitors to LED lamps won the Nobel Prize in chemistry from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Wednesday.

Moungi G. Bawendi of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Louis E. Brus of Columbia University; and Alexei I. Ekimov of Nanocrystals Technology in New York shared the award for their work in the discovery and development of quantum dots.

Quantum dots are nanoparticles so tiny that their size determines their properties. Their light is found in QLED television screens and monitors and LED lamps and can also guide surgeons when they remove tumor tissue, among other things.

"The Nobel Laureates in Chemistry 2023 have succeeded in producing particles so small that their properties are determined by quantum phenomena," the academy said. "The particles, which are called quantum dots, are now of great importance in nanotechnology."

Ekimov succeeded in creating size-dependent quantum effects in colored glass in the 1980s. The color came from nanoparticles of copper chloride and Ekimov demonstrated that the particle size affected the color of the glass via quantum effects.

Brus was the first scientist in the world to prove size-dependent quantum effects in particles floating freely in a fluid. In 1993, Bawendi revolutionized the chemical production of quantum dots, resulting in almost perfect particles so they can be utilized in applications.

"Quantum dots have many fascinating and unusual properties," Johan Aqvist, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said in a statement. "Importantly, they have different colors depending on their size."

The Nobel Prizes are being awarded all week in Sweden.

On Tuesday, three scientists won the prize in physics for experiments that allowed the observation of electrons. On Monday, two American scientists won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on the technology that led to the breakthrough mRNA vaccines used to protect against COVID-19.

The Nobel Prize in Literature is scheduled to be awarded on Thursday and the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.