Louis Brus
Facts
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Clément Morin
Louis E. Brus
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023
Born: 1943, Cleveland, OH, USA
Affiliation at the time of the award: Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Prize motivation: “for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots”
Prize share: 1/3
Work
When grains of matter become very small – when they shrink to nano-dimensions – quantum phenomena arise. Such particles are called quantum dots. In 1983, Louis Brus proved that size-dependent quantum effects were present in particles floating freely in a fluid. Smaller particles absorbed light that shifted towards blue compared to larger particles. Quantum dots are used in electronics, including computer and television screens as well as LED lamps. They can also be used to map biological tissue.
Nobel Prizes and laureates
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