| Oct 29, 2021 |
Unlocking the technology to produce unbreakable screens
(Nanowerk News) Cracked phone screens could become a thing of the past thanks to breakthrough research conducted at The University of Queensland.
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The global team of researchers, led by UQ’s Dr Jingwei Hou, Professor Lianzhou Wang and Professor Vicki Chen, have unlocked the technology to produce next-generation composite glass for lighting LEDs and smartphone, television and computer screens (Science, "Liquid-phase sintering of lead halide perovskites and metal-organic framework glasses").
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The findings will enable the manufacture of glass screens that are not only unbreakable but also deliver crystal clear image quality.
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Dr Hou said the discovery was a huge step forward in perovskite nanocrystal technology as previously, researchers were only able to produce this technology in the bone-dry atmosphere of a laboratory setting.
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“The emitting materials are made from nanocrystals, called lead-halide perovskites,” he said.
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“They can trap light and store energy – think solar panels but on the small scale.
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“Unfortunately, these nanocrystals are extremely sensitive to light, heat, air and water – even water vapour in our air would kill the current devices in a matter of minutes.
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“Our team of chemical engineers and material scientists has developed a process to wrap or bind the nanocrystals in porous glass.
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“This process is key to stabilising the materials, enhancing its efficiency and inhibits the toxic lead ions from leaching out from the materials.”
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Dr Hou said the technology was scalable and opened the door for many applications.
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“At present QLED or quantum dot light-emitting diode screens are considered the top performer for image display and performance,” he said.
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“This research will enable us to improve on this nanocrystal technology by offering stunning picture quality and strength.”
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Professor Vicky Chen said it was an exciting development.
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“Not only can we make these nanocrystals more robust but we can tune their opto-electronic properties with fantastic light emission efficiency and highly desirable white light LEDs, “ Professor Chen said.
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“This discovery opens up a new generation of nanocrystal-glass composites for energy conversion and catalysis.”
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