A team of Swedish scientists from Umeå University, together with colleagues from Denmark and China, have developed a method to produce organic semiconductors from birch leaves. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Green Chemistry.
Organic semiconductors are typically made from petrochemicals and rare metals such as platinum and iridium. One application of these is organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) used in ultra-thin and bright TV and mobile phone displays.
The research team proposed a more sustainable alternative in the form of leaves from commonly used birch trees. Scientists collected them and cooked them in an autoclave at high temperatures and high pressure. As a result, “carbon dots” about two nanometers in size were formed in the biomaterial, which when dissolved in ethanol emit narrow-band dark red light.
Some optical properties of carbon dots are comparable to commercial quantum dots commonly used in semiconductor materials. The brightness created by the birch elements was 100 cd/m22This is comparable to the intensity of light from a computer screen.
According to physicists, this discovery promises hope for the transition from petrochemical raw materials to environmentally friendly and renewable sources in semiconductor production. In addition, not only birch leaves but also other plants can be used as a material source.
Previously in Russia to create New material for photonic laser radar chips.