Researchers from the Department of Nanoscience and Technology at the University of Calicut have created a cutting-edge device using gold-copper alloy nanoclusters, a significant breakthrough in the realm of light-emitting diode (LED) technology.

E.S. Shibu, an Assistant Professor at the Smart Materials Lab within the department, along with his PhD student Rival Jose, spearheaded this project. They highlight that despite being microscopic, these nanoclusters exhibit remarkable photophysical properties, such as strong light emission, excellent photo and thermal stability, and environmental friendliness. These attributes position them as promising candidates for sustainable lighting, display technologies, and biomedical imaging in the future.

What distinguishes this innovation, as per Mr. Shibu and Mr. Jose, is the manufacturing process employed—a straightforward, eco-friendly technique that eliminates the need for toxic or costly materials. This not only makes the technology sustainable but also cost-effective. At the heart of this breakthrough are atomically precise nanoclusters composed of only a few metal atoms.

The newly developed LED based on nanoclusters emits pure red light and achieves an external quantum efficiency of 12.6%. Mr. Shibu notes that this performance level ranks among the highest in the realm of nanocluster-based, solution-processed, non-doped LEDs with saturated red emission.

Their research findings were published in Advanced Materials (Wiley), a highly esteemed journal in the materials science domain, boasting an impressive impact factor of 27.4. This publication also marks the University of Calicut's debut in such a prestigious journal.

This milestone was made attainable through collaborations with national and international institutions like the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Tampere University, Finland, and Hokkaido University, Japan. The project received primary funding from the Department of Science and Technology- Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence, with additional backing from the Science and Engineering Research Board-Startup Research Grant, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment-Science Research Scheme, and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.