Scientists Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of clusters of atoms known as quantum dots, now used to create colour in flat screens, light emitting diode (LED) lamps and devices that help surgeons see blood vessels in tumours.
The prize-awarding academy said the scientists had “added colour to nanotechnology” – when matter is used on an atomic or molecular level in manufacturing – and that their findings held great potential in many fields.
“Researchers believe that in the future they could contribute to flexible electronics, tiny sensors, thinner solar cells and encrypted quantum communication,” the academy said in a statement.
The more than century-old prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and is worth 11 million Swedish crowns ($1 million).
Earlier on Wednesday, the academy appeared to have inadvertently published the names of the three scientists before the official announcement.
Source: Reuters