Scientists Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus, and Aleksey Ekimov were awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of quantum dots, tiny clusters of atoms. Quantum dots are widely used in various applications today, including creating colors in flat screens, LED lamps, and assisting surgeons in visualizing blood vessels in tumors. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the Nobel Prize, stated that the scientists’ findings on quantum dots have “added color to nanotechnology” and have the potential to contribute to flexible electronics, tiny sensors, thinner solar cells, and encrypted quantum communication.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is worth 11 million Swedish crowns ($1 million) and is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Quantum dots have fascinating properties, including their ability to change color depending on the particle size while maintaining the atomic structure. Moungi Bawendi expressed his surprise and honor upon hearing the news of the award and believes that more interesting discoveries will come from quantum dot research.
There was a mishap during the announcement of the prize winners, as the names were inadvertently shared with Swedish newspapers beforehand. However, the secretary general of the academy assured that this did not affect the selection of the laureates. The quantum dot technology behind high-definition QLED TVs can be traced back to the early work of Aleksey Ekimov in the 1980s. Furthermore, Louis Brus extended this work to fluids, and Moungi Bawendi revolutionized the production and quality of quantum dots.
Moungi Bawendi is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Louis Brus is a professor emeritus at Columbia University, and Aleksey Ekimov works for Nanocrystals Technology Inc. The chemistry Nobel Prize follows the awards for medicine and physics earlier in the week. The Nobel Prizes, established by Alfred Nobel, are awarded for achievements in science, literature, and peace since 1901. The chemistry prize has been awarded to esteemed scientists such as Ernest Rutherford and Marie Curie in the past. In 2022, the chemistry award recognized Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, and Barry Sharpless for their work in click chemistry.