Tiny “dots” that transform light have the potential to drive big advancements.
A new material, crafted in the seldom-explored convergence of organic and inorganic chemistry, holds promise to not just enhance the efficiency of solar panels, but also could also usher in the next generation of cancer treatments.
Described in a paper published recently published in Nature Chemistry, this composite material is composed of minuscule silicon nanoparticles and an organic compound bearing close similarities to those utilized in OLED TVs. Its properties include the ability to quicken the energy exchange between two molecules, as well as to transform light of lower energy into light of higher energy.
Only a handful of laboratories in the world are capable of making the silicon nanoparticles with the right specifications. One of those laboratories is led by Lorenzo Mangolini, a mechanical engineering and materials science professor at UC Riverside who helped invent the process for producing them.
High-energy light, such as ultraviolet laser light, can form free radicals able to attack cancer tissue. UV light, however, doesn’t travel far enough into tissues to generate therapeutic radicals close to the tumor site. On the other hand, near-infrared light penetrates deeply into the body but doesn’t have enough energy to generate the radicals.
With the new material, the research team has demonstrated it is possible to achieve the emission of light with higher energy than the one aimed at the material, known as photon up-conversion. In addition to being efficient, the silicon “dots” that form the base of this high-energy material are not toxic.
Taking low-energy light and transforming it into a higher-energy form could be used to boost the efficiency of solar cells by allowing them to capture near-infrared light that would normally pass through them. When optimized, the low-energy light could reduce the size of solar panels by 30%.
“These cells usually don’t use low-energy photons, but using this system, you could. We could make the arrays much more efficient,” Mangolini said.
There are a variety of applications involving infrared light that could be improved with the new silicon dot-based material. They include bioimaging, light-based 3D printing, and light sensors that would help self-driving cars through foggy weather.
This research was funded by the National Science Foundation and was performed by a team based at the University of Texas, Austin, the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the University of Utah, as well as UCR. Not only is the research team excited about the potential applications, but about being able to design a new class of composite materials like this one.
Composites are materials that behave differently than their base components do when acting alone. As an example, composites of carbon fibers and resins are strong and lightweight and are used in airplane wings and many sporting goods.
“We now know how to take two extremely different substances and bond them strongly enough to create not just a mixture, but an entirely new material with distinct properties,” said Sean Roberts, University of Texas at Austin chemistry professor and corresponding paper author. “This is one of the first times this has been achieved.”
Reference: “Efficient photon upconversion enabled by strong coupling between silicon quantum dots and anthracene” by Kefu Wang, R. Peyton Cline, Joseph Schwan, Jacob M. Strain, Sean T. Roberts, Lorenzo Mangolini, Joel D. Eaves and Ming Lee Tang, 12 June 2023, Nature Chemistry.
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01225-x

News
Specially engineered antibody delivers RNA therapy to treatment-resistant tumors
Elias Quijano, PhD; Diana Martinez-Saucedo, PhD; Zaira Ianniello, PhD; and Natasha Pinto-Medici, PhD, there are 25 other contributors, most from Yale's Department of Therapeutic Radiology and from the departments of genetics, molecular biophysics and [...]
Vaccinated women face fewer cervical cancer risks
New data from Denmark shows the HPV vaccine’s powerful long-term impact, while also revealing why cervical cancer screening is still essential. A Danish study published in the journal Eurosurveillance reports that women who received the human [...]
3D-printed implant offers a potential new route to repair spinal cord injuries
A research team at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has developed a 3-D printed implant to deliver electrical stimulation to injured areas of the spinal cord, offering a potential new route to [...]
Nanocrystals Carrying Radioisotopes Offer New Hope for Cancer Treatment
The Science Scientists have developed tiny nanocrystal particles made up of isotopes of the elements lanthanum, vanadium, and oxygen for use in treating cancer. These crystals are smaller than many microbes and can carry isotopes of [...]
New Once-a-Week Shot Promises Life-Changing Relief for Parkinson’s Patients
A once-a-week shot from Australian scientists could spare people with Parkinson’s the grind of taking pills several times a day. The tiny, biodegradable gel sits under the skin and releases steady doses of two [...]
Weekly injectable drug offers hope for Parkinson’s patients
A new weekly injectable drug could transform the lives of more than eight million people living with Parkinson's disease, potentially replacing the need for multiple daily tablets. Scientists from the University of South Australia [...]
Most Plastic in the Ocean Is Invisible—And Deadly
Nanoplastics—particles smaller than a human hair—can pass through cell walls and enter the food web. New research suggest 27 million metric tons of nanoplastics are spread across just the top layer of the North [...]
Repurposed drugs could calm the immune system’s response to nanomedicine
An international study led by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has identified a promising strategy to enhance the safety of nanomedicines, advanced therapies often used in cancer and vaccine treatments, [...]
Nano-Enhanced Hydrogel Strategies for Cartilage Repair
A recent article in Engineering describes the development of a protein-based nanocomposite hydrogel designed to deliver two therapeutic agents—dexamethasone (Dex) and kartogenin (KGN)—to support cartilage repair. The hydrogel is engineered to modulate immune responses and promote [...]
New Cancer Drug Blocks Tumors Without Debilitating Side Effects
A new drug targets RAS-PI3Kα pathways without harmful side effects. It was developed using high-performance computing and AI. A new cancer drug candidate, developed through a collaboration between Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), BridgeBio Oncology [...]
Scientists Are Pretty Close to Replicating the First Thing That Ever Lived
For 400 million years, a leading hypothesis claims, Earth was an “RNA World,” meaning that life must’ve first replicated from RNA before the arrival of proteins and DNA. Unfortunately, scientists have failed to find [...]
Why ‘Peniaphobia’ Is Exploding Among Young People (And Why We Should Be Concerned)
An insidious illness is taking hold among a growing proportion of young people. Little known to the general public, peniaphobia—the fear of becoming poor—is gaining ground among teens and young adults. Discover the causes [...]
Team finds flawed data in recent study relevant to coronavirus antiviral development
The COVID pandemic illustrated how urgently we need antiviral medications capable of treating coronavirus infections. To aid this effort, researchers quickly homed in on part of SARS-CoV-2's molecular structure known as the NiRAN domain—an [...]
Drug-Coated Neural Implants Reduce Immune Rejection
Summary: A new study shows that coating neural prosthetic implants with the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone helps reduce the body’s immune response and scar tissue formation. This strategy enhances the long-term performance and stability of electrodes [...]
Scientists discover cancer-fighting bacteria that ‘soak up’ forever chemicals in the body
A family of healthy bacteria may help 'soak up' toxic forever chemicals in the body, warding off their cancerous effects. Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are toxic chemicals that [...]
Johns Hopkins Researchers Uncover a New Way To Kill Cancer Cells
A new study reveals that blocking ribosomal RNA production rewires cancer cell behavior and could help treat genetically unstable tumors. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular [...]