Researchers: Zeolite could make LED lighting cheaper and more efficient
Introduction: Researchers from the University of Leuven, the University of Strasbourg and the French National Research Center have discovered a new phosphor that could make the next generation of fluorescent and LED lighting cheaper and more efficient. The team took advantage of highly luminescent clusters of silver atoms and the porous framework of zeolite-like minerals.
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OFweek Semiconductor Lighting Network News from the University of Leuven, the University of Strasbourg and the French National Research Center researchers have discovered a new phosphor that could make the next generation of fluorescent and LED lighting cheaper and more efficient. The team took advantage of highly luminescent clusters of silver atoms and the porous framework of zeolite-like minerals.
Silver clusters consist of a small number of silver atoms and have remarkable optical properties. Current applications, however, are limited because silver clusters tend to aggregate into larger particles, losing interesting optical properties.
From molecular imaging and optoelectronics units, Professor Hofken and his team have discovered a way to separate silver clusters into the porous structure of zeolites. The results show that the stable silver clusters maintain their unique optical properties.
Zeolite minerals can be found in nature and can also be synthesized industrially. This mineral has a very clear structure. They are commonly used in household and industrial applications such as laundry detergents and water treatment.
Prof. Maarten Roeffaers explains from the point of view of surface chemistry and catalysis: "Zeolites contain sodium or potassium ions. We replace these ions and silver ions with ion exchange. To obtain the clusters we want, we heat the zeolite with silver ions so that the Silver ions are automatically clustered.
Using advanced techniques, the researchers examined the properties of these heat-treated silver zeolites in Professor Peter Lievens' Solid State Physics and Magnetics Laboratory. They found that silver clusters strongly affect the zeolite's structural, electronic and optical properties. That's how they found that the shape of the silver clusters is very important to get the right fluorescence properties.
Professor John Hofken said: "Clusters of silver atoms can be assembled into different shapes, such as a line or a pyramid. The pyramid shape is exactly what we need to obtain suitable fluorescence properties. Heat the silver ions in the zeolite framework. to make them into this shape. Because they are "trapped" in the zeolite cage, they can only form pyramids of up to four silver atoms. This is exactly the shape and size of the massive fluorescence emitted by the silver clusters in them, the potency Close to 100%."
These findings are of great help in the development of next-generation fluorescent and LED lighting and bioimaging. After all, the new phosphors can not only emit large amounts of light, but are also cheap to produce.
