Three scientists have been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work on quantum dots, which are tiny dots that light up TV screens and help doctors visualize blood vessels that supply tumors. According to Heiner Linke, a member of the Nobel committee, quantum dots are a distinct class of materials that differ from molecules. By adjusting the size of these nanoparticles, which are only a few billionths of a meter in size, their properties can be changed, including their optical, electric, magnetic, and melting point properties, thanks to quantum mechanics. This also applies to color. Unlike molecules, where different colors require different arrangements of atoms, quantum dots of different colors have the same arrangement of atoms, with the only difference being the size of the particles. When quantum dots are exposed to light, the electrons within them become energized and eventually release that energy as fluorescent light. The energy of the electrons increases as the size of the dots decreases, resulting in blue dots, while larger dots appear red.
2023-10-04 10:26:53
Original from www.sciencenews.org
