A breakthrough in LED technology could change everything.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Some LED materials are special because they don't conduct electricity, and that's precisely why they've attracted the attention of scientists. New research on these materials promises to open up groundbreaking advancements.

LED screens use light-emitting diodes to create images. This type of screen has outstanding advantages with high brightness and display capabilities, providing superior image quality, energy efficiency, and a long lifespan (photo: Vatrushka67/Getty Images).

Discover the breakthrough in LED lighting.

LEDs have become an indispensable part of modern life, from giant TV screens to household light bulbs.

However, not all LED materials have the same structure and properties. Besides common types like OLED or QLED, there are more complex LED materials, some of which are even non-conductive. It is this group of materials that has attracted particular attention from the scientific community in recent years.

Recently, a research team from the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge published a groundbreaking discovery that promises to completely change how we view LED technology.

According to research published in the journal Nature, scientists have successfully conducted electricity through tiny insulating particles that are normally incapable of conducting electricity. These particles are composed of various elements, including several rare earth elements such as neodymium and ytterbium.

This discovery is expected to open up new avenues for LED technology in general.

Researchers say these particles, known as insulating lanthanide nanoparticles (LnNPs), glow brightly when illuminated. However, making them electrically conductive has always been a major challenge. Previous efforts have shown that electrical charge cannot typically be transferred to the lanthanide ions inside without extremely high temperatures or voltages.

To address this problem, the research team sought to hybridize the particles. They used 9-ACA organic dye molecules combined with LnNPs nanoparticles, allowing the surface insulators on the particles to be replaced. This enables them to be charged using triple energy transfer techniques.

Operating mechanism

According to the research, the biggest obstacle preventing the electrical excitation of LnNP nanoparticles is their energy gap. Previously, this has limited the use of these particles to only deep tissue imaging that does not rely on electrical energy.

However, by replacing the surface insulators, researchers have overcome this core problem, thereby opening up the possibility of using these particles in a wider range of LED applications.

After making the modifications, the scientists were able to pump electrons into the organic layer, forming what they call an "exciton." From there, energy is transferred to the lanthanide ions, allowing them to emit nearly pure near-infrared (NIR) light.

The performance and narrowness of this light are even superior to most other organic NIR LEDs.

Researchers believe these new Ln LEDs open up many possibilities for hybrid optoelectronics in biomedical tools, especially in depth imaging applications with the potential for less color fading.

While it remains to be seen whether this breakthrough will have the same impact as previous research aimed at making X-rays safer, it certainly opens up many new possibilities. Researchers say they still want to improve the brightness offered by these new hybrid LEDs.

However, the current method can be easily extended to other insulators, allowing for further testing.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/buoc-dot-pha-trong-cong-nghe-led-co-the-thay-doi-moi-thu-20260106004919045.htm