Home > Press > Lowering the cost and environmental footprint of white LEDs

Abstract:

Replacing traditional light bulbs with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) could take a significant bite out of global energy consumption. But making white LEDs isn't completely benign or budget friendly. To help reduce the environmental footprint and cost of these lights, researchers have developed the first white LED with a hybrid, metal-organic framework material. Their report appears in the journal ACS Nano.

Lowering the cost and environmental footprint of white LEDs

Washington, DC | Posted on September 1st, 2016

Widespread use of low-power, long-lasting LEDs in the U.S. could save nearly 348 terawatt-hours by 2027, which equals the annual output of 44 power plants, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. But white LEDs are currently made with rare-earth elements, and mining these minerals can be costly and produce toxic waste. Additionally, existing commercial methods for producing white LEDs involve multiple components and steps that reduce efficiency and quality.



So, Kuang-Lieh Lu, Yang-Fang Chen and colleagues developed more cost-effective and environmentally friendly white LEDs using graphene and a strontium-based, metal-organic framework (MOF) that does not include rare-earth elements. MOFs comprise a promising new class of hybrid materials made of metallic ions and organic ligands. Testing showed that the devices' emission spectrum was close to that of natural sunlight.



###



The authors acknowledge funding from China's Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education of China, the Taiwan International Graduate Program (Academia Sinica) and the National Tsing Hua University.

####

About American Chemical Society

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With nearly 157,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.



For more information, please click

Contacts:

Michael Bernstein



Copyright © American Chemical Society

If you have a comment, please us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:



Related Links

Related News Press

News and information

September 20th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

Display technology/LEDs/SS Lighting/OLEDs

September 18th, 2020

September 2nd, 2020

August 14th, 2020

August 7th, 2020

Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy

September 20th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

Possible Futures

September 20th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

Discoveries

September 20th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

Announcements

September 20th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters

September 20th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

Energy

September 20th, 2020

September 18th, 2020

August 28th, 2020

August 25th, 2020