Korea University’s (KU) Professor Jeong Kwang-seop (department of Chemistry) and his research team developed "low toxic quantum dots" that illuminate in the extended SWIR region. The results were published in a renowned international scientific journal Nano Letters.

The discontinuance of quantum dot energy level can be adjusted to show a high level of color purity, and thus has been used for certain industries including displays and solar cells. Previously reported quantum dots in the infrared region, however, were mainly mercury or lead chalcogen, which made them highly toxic and unable to be utilized for various purposes. The solution to this issue, as explained by Professor Jeong was that “Silver telluride dots are low-toxic substances that can replace the mercury and lead chalcogen quantum dots. They have shown the possibility that they can be used in infrared sensors, bioimaging and optoelectronic devices in the future.”

The research team also reported converting an infrared light source into an electric current using an infrared sensor device. Quantum dots with absorption and light emission in the visible ray region have not been studied until the rise of demand for substances sensitive to the infrared.