Researchers at the University of Georgia developed a new material that emits near-infrared light within two weeks of exposure to sunlight. The material can be widely used in military, medical and solar cell fields. The related papers were published in the online edition of Nature Materials.
The first material the researchers studied was trivalent chromium, a well-known source of near-infrared light emission. When exposed to light, its electrons quickly shift from the ground state to a higher energy state. As the electrons return to the ground state, energy is released in near-infrared light. However, trivalent chromium ions generally emit light for a short time, usually several milliseconds. In the latest study, the researchers used a zinc matrix and strontium bismuth to construct a labyrinth “trap†whose chemical structure can capture and store excitation energy and release the stored energy back to chromium ions as heat energy at room temperature. Infrared light can last up to two weeks.
The researchers spent three years refining the formula. The initial material can only emit near-infrared light for a few minutes. By adjusting the composition ratio, sintering temperature and time, the material lasts for two weeks. However, researchers believe that they have not yet found the best formula and there is room for improvement in this material.
The researchers also spent 1 year testing materials in indoor, outdoor, sunny, cloudy, rainy days, fresh water, and salt water. As a result, it was found that the properties of the material remained unchanged for 3 months even after the bleaching water was corroded.
Researchers believe that this material will have a wide range of applications in military, medical, and solar cells. On the military side, this material can be used to make ceramic discs, or to mix powders with paints, as a light source for use by troops equipped with night-vision equipment. Medically, it can be combined with nanoparticles to bind cancer cells and visualize the metastasis of cancer cells. In addition, due to its extraordinary ability to store and convert solar energy, this material is expected to be used to make more efficient solar cells.
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A one-minute sun exposure in exchange for near-infrared lighting for two weeks, this "exchange" looks amazing. In this “exchange†controlled by the law of conservation of energy, the low-frequency and low-energy of near-infrared light is one of the reasons for the long illumination time. In fact, among the new discoveries of American scientists, what attracts more eyeballs than the long lighting time is the high efficiency of new materials absorbing and transforming solar energy. Tracing the origin of the Earth's food chain, most of them are green plants and solar energy, so finding a way to efficiently absorb and convert solar energy is actually a way to find direct and efficient energy applications. This is probably one of the ways to deal with the root cause of the energy shortage.
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