Professors from chemistry and materials science and engineering are pioneering innovative research in the field of organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs, an emerging technology that scientists say will revolutionize lighting.

Led by Mohammad Omary, associate professor of chemistry, the team of faculty and student researchers has secured more than $2.3 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The technology's importance is clear. Lighting consumes nearly one-quarter of all electricity produced in the United States. OLEDs require far less energy to produce and operate than incandescent lights, which would lead to billions of dollars in savings and enormous reductions in carbon emissions.

"We know we are in a global energy crisis," Omary said. "Getting rid of old light bulbs and adopting alternative sources of light is one of the most significant ways we can reduce our energy consumption."

Often made on super-thin, flexible plastic bases, OLEDs could lend themselves to a variety of applications. Bedrooms could be wallpapered in light-emitting sheets. Football quarterbacks could receive play calls on tiny screens sewn into their uniforms. Television and computer screens would be flatter than ever before.

Developed by Kodak more than 30 years ago, OLED technology has gained traction in recent years because of its low production costs and power demands. An OLED is essentially a wafer-thin carbon-based film sandwiched between two conductors. When electrical voltage is applied, the organic material glows.

The U.S. Department of Energy has invested about $100 million during the last five to six years in solid-state lighting, which is light emitted from a solid object rather than from a vacuum or gas tube. The DOE hopes to have OLEDs ready for residential use by 2015.

"Organic light-emitting diodes are one of the most promising lighting technologies envisioned by the DOE to replace today's less efficient light sources," said Joel Chaddock, project manager at the DOE's National Energy and Technology Laboratory.

Only 10 percent of the energy emitted by an incandescent bulb is actually light; the other 90 percent is useless heat. Compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, have been touted as a way to reduce energy and cut greenhouse gases. But CFLs contain a small amount of mercury in the glass tubing, which makes them potentially harmful to dispose of and requires a careful clean-up if one breaks.

UNT researchers are trying to determine which materials best create the perfect white light and how to extend the lifetime of devices.

To meet the goal, Omary and fellow researchers synthesize new metal-organic materials based on metals like gold, platinum or copper.

Omary's group then sends those materials to Nigel Shepherd, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering, whose group is in charge of the design and construction of the light-emitting devices.

Most OLEDs combine red, green and blue emitters to create white light. That's problematic, however, because emitters age at different rates. If the blue emitter fails first, which usually occurs, the lamp may give off a yellow light.

UNT's approach? Simplify the structure by creating one material that can produce white light on its own. This has been a major challenge in OLED technology, but UNT's most recent data suggest promise for a new material.

The latest breakthrough by UNT demonstrated its potential, with a material made by students Joyce Chen and Chi Yang in Omary's group and devices made by Minghang Li and Ming-Te Lin in Shepherd's group.

"This is a very different, very new way of thinking about lighting," said Oussama Elbjeirami, a post-doctoral student who, along with colleague Roy McDougald, has recently synthesized several materials capable of emitting bright white phosphorescent light. "The future of lighting is changing."

UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
Contact: Sarah Bahari (940) 565-4835
Email: sarah.bahari@unt.edu

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