The latest generation of quantum dots has great potential for use in biological analysis applications. The small size of quantum dots allows them to go anywhere in the body making them suitable for biological applications such as medical imaging and biosensors. They are widely used to study intracellular processes, tumor targeting, in-vivo observation of cell trafficking, diagnostics and cellular imaging at high resolutions.
Various kinds of organic dyes have been used in bio imaging for decades. However, with the advancement of nanotechnology, QDs have been considered to be superior to traditional organic dyes in many respects. For bio imaging applications, the fluorescent probes have to remain well-dispersed and stable in the aqueous medium with a wide range of pH and ionic strengths. Fortunately, numerous approaches have been developed to make the QDs water-dispersible. Up until now, great efforts have been devoted to employing QDs for in-vitro and in-vivo imaging, which is expected to be important to the diagnoses of many diseases, the understanding of embryo genesis, and lymphocyte immunology.
2. Photo voltaic devices
Because of the tunable of the absorption spectrum and high extinction coefficient, QDs are desirable for light-harvesting, is beneficial for photo voltaic devices. QDs have the potential to boost the efficiency of silicon photo voltaic cells and lead to reduced costs.
Quantum dots can offer a significant increase in efficiency, by using dots of varying sizes top of each other with the largest band gaps on top. Incoming photons will be transmitted until reaching a layer with a band gap smaller than the photon energy. With enough layers, each photon will excite an electron with a bandgap close to its own energy and thus waste a small amount of energy.
3. Light-emitting devices
QDs are promising for light-emitting devices and may improve the performance of light-emitting diode (LED), leading to the new design of “Quantum Dot light Emitting Diode”. QDs are very useful for display devices considering their unique optical properties. They are capable of presenting visibly more accurate and outstanding colors.
4. Quantum computing
Quantum dots have paved the way for powerful ‘supercomputers’ known as quantum computers. Quantum computers operate and store information using quantum bits or ‘qubits’, which can exist in two states – both on and off simultaneously. This remarkable phenomenon enables information processing speeds and memory capacity to both be greatly improved when compared to conventional computers.
5. Solar cell
A quantum dot solar cell (QDSC) is a solar cell that uses quantum dots as the captivating photovoltaic material. It is used to replace bulky materials such as silicon, or copper indium gallium selenide. Quantum dots have band gaps that are adjustable through a wide array of energy levels by changing the size of the dots. Because the bandgap of the quantum dots can be adjusted, quantum dots are desirable for solar cells. Frequencies in the far-infrared that are characteristically difficult to achieve with traditional solar cells can be obtained using lead sulfide colloidal quantum dots. Half of the solar energy reaching the Earth is in the infrared region. A quantum dot solar cell makes infrared energy as accessible as any other.
Various kinds of organic dyes have been used in bio imaging for decades. However, with the advancement of nanotechnology, QDs have been considered to be superior to traditional organic dyes in many respects. For bio imaging applications, the fluorescent probes have to remain well-dispersed and stable in the aqueous medium with a wide range of pH and ionic strengths. Fortunately, numerous approaches have been developed to make the QDs water-dispersible. Up until now, great efforts have been devoted to employing QDs for in-vitro and in-vivo imaging, which is expected to be important to the diagnoses of many diseases, the understanding of embryo genesis, and lymphocyte immunology.
2. Photo voltaic devices
Because of the tunable of the absorption spectrum and high extinction coefficient, QDs are desirable for light-harvesting, is beneficial for photo voltaic devices. QDs have the potential to boost the efficiency of silicon photo voltaic cells and lead to reduced costs.
Quantum dots can offer a significant increase in efficiency, by using dots of varying sizes top of each other with the largest band gaps on top. Incoming photons will be transmitted until reaching a layer with a band gap smaller than the photon energy. With enough layers, each photon will excite an electron with a bandgap close to its own energy and thus waste a small amount of energy.
3. Light-emitting devices
QDs are promising for light-emitting devices and may improve the performance of light-emitting diode (LED), leading to the new design of “Quantum Dot light Emitting Diode”. QDs are very useful for display devices considering their unique optical properties. They are capable of presenting visibly more accurate and outstanding colors.
4. Quantum computing
Quantum dots have paved the way for powerful ‘supercomputers’ known as quantum computers. Quantum computers operate and store information using quantum bits or ‘qubits’, which can exist in two states – both on and off simultaneously. This remarkable phenomenon enables information processing speeds and memory capacity to both be greatly improved when compared to conventional computers.
5. Solar cell
A quantum dot solar cell (QDSC) is a solar cell that uses quantum dots as the captivating photovoltaic material. It is used to replace bulky materials such as silicon, or copper indium gallium selenide. Quantum dots have band gaps that are adjustable through a wide array of energy levels by changing the size of the dots. Because the bandgap of the quantum dots can be adjusted, quantum dots are desirable for solar cells. Frequencies in the far-infrared that are characteristically difficult to achieve with traditional solar cells can be obtained using lead sulfide colloidal quantum dots. Half of the solar energy reaching the Earth is in the infrared region. A quantum dot solar cell makes infrared energy as accessible as any other.
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