The trio wins the Nobel Prize for their research on quantum dots; Winners’ names leaked Sciences

French Mongee BoundyAmerican Louis Bruce And Russian Alexey Ekimov The winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their research on nanoparticles were announced today, Wednesday (4). This year, the names were leaked four hours before the awards ceremony. (Understand below)

The award was given to scientists for their discovery and development of quantum dots. Nanoparticles are so small that their size determines their properties. The smallest nanotechnology components now diffuse their light from televisions, LED lights, and It can also guide surgeons in removing tumor tissue, among many other things.

This award, which is one of the most prestigious awards in the scientific world, grants researchers, in addition to appreciation, With a value of 11 million Swedish krona (about 5 million Brazilian reals).

📺 Physicists have long known that theoretically, size-dependent quantum effects could arise in nanoparticles, but at the time it was almost impossible to sculpt them to nanoscale dimensions. Therefore, few people believe that this knowledge will be put into practice.

However, the laureates’ commitment to research in this field led to discoveries that led to the results we know today. (See polls for each winner below)

Every year, Nobel Prize winners are announced at a formal event. But on Wednesday morning (4) an error occurred and a statement with the names of the winners was sent to the press four hours before the official announcement of the Nobel Prize.

Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet published a copy of an email from the academy with the names of the winners, which was later confirmed in the official announcement.

At the press conference following the nomination, Hans Ellegren, Secretary General of the Nobel Academy, confirmed the early announcement but said it had no bearing on the selection of winners.

“I’m sorry about what happened. Of course, there was a statement that we sent for reasons that are still unknown. We have been very active this morning trying to find out what really happened, but we still don’t know. The important thing is,” Hans told an AP journalist during the press conference. “This did not in any way affect the awarding of the winners.”

One of the winners, Mungi Bawendi, who also participated in the press conference, was questioned by the press about the leak, but he denied knowing about it before the official announcement.

“No, I didn’t know. The Swedish Academy woke me up. I was asleep. I didn’t hear anything about it,” Boundy said.

• The video below shows the winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics that was announced on Tuesday (3):

• ⚡Alexei Ekimov In the early 1980s he was able to create volume-based quantum effects in stained glass. The color came from copper chloride nanoparticles, and Ekimov demonstrated that particle size affects the color of the glass through quantum effects.
• ⚡After a few years, Louis Bruce He was the first scientist in the world to demonstrate size-dependent quantum effects in particles floating freely in a liquid.
• ⚡In 1993, Mongee Boundy It revolutionized the chemical production of quantum dots, producing nearly perfect particles. This high quality was necessary so that it could be used in applications.

🖥️ Quantum dots now Lighting computer screens and TV screens based on QLED technology. They also add nuances to the light emitted by some LEDs, and are used by biochemists and doctors to map biological tissue.

The researchers believe that in the future this will be able to contribute to the development of other technologies, such as small sensors and solar cells.

Other awards from the 2023 edition

In addition to Chemistry, winners were also announced in the Medicine and Physics categories.

Together, they found a way to modify mRNA. This revolutionary technology was discovered more than 15 years ago, and enabled the production of vaccines against Covid-19 in record time.

They conducted experiments that gave humanity new tools to explore the world of electrons within atoms and molecules.

The Nobel Prize for Peace, Economics and Literature will be announced throughout the week.