The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three researchers based in the United States, “for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots, nanoparticles so small that their size determines their properties”, according to the jury.
Moungi Bawendi, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Louis Brus from Columbia University, and Alexei Ekimov, born respectively in France, the United States and the USSR, who work for Nanocrystals Technology received the sesame. Quantum dots, also called quantum dots, are semiconductor nanocrystals, typically two to ten nanometers in diameter.
Tiny particles whose importance increases
Capable of converting an incoming spectrum of light into a different energy frequency, they are used in modern LED television screens, in solar panels and in medical imaging, where they can notably guide surgeons in the ablation of tumors.
“The winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry have succeeded in producing particles so small that their properties are determined by quantum phenomena,” explains the jury. These particles, called quantum dots, are now of great importance in the field of nanotechnology. “Very surprised, sleepy, shocked, and very honored,” reacted hotly Moungi Bawendi, 62, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Leaked in the media
For the winners of the 2023 vintage, the check accompanying the prize is now for eleven million crowns (920,000 euros), the highest nominal value (in Swedish currency) in the more than century-old history of the Nobels.
The names of the winners were leaked to the Swedish press a few hours before the official announcement. A rare incident, the Academies responsible for choosing the winners taking care to keep their debates secret.