Through advanced molecular design, the Lund researchers have now successfully manipulated the electronic properties of iron-based molecules so that they much better resemble the ruthenium-based substances. By doing so, they have, for the first time, created an iron-based dye molecule which is able to not only capture light, but also subsequently emit light of a different colour. The latter is significantly more difficult to achieve, which contributes to why the researchers’ accomplishment in showing that the new iron molecule emits orange light is so important.
“Medieval alchemists tried to produce gold from other substances, but failed. You could say that we have succeeded in performing modern alchemy by giving the iron properties which resemble those of ruthenium,” says Kenneth Wärnmark, Professor of Chemistry at the Faculty of Science at Lund University. The new study describes an iron complex with a record-breaking life span in its light-absorbing and luminescent state: 100 picoseconds, which is less than a billionth of a second. But despite the seemingly inconceivably short time interval, it is quite sufficient.
These results provide an important step towards possible future applications as a luminescent material, such as for lighting and displays, as well as light absorbers in solar cells and photocatalysts for producing solar fuel. In order to reach this goal, a continued development of new, and even better molecules is necessary. “We expect that the next step to develop the actual molecules that are suitable for commercial applications could take another five years,” says Petter Persson, chemistry researcher at Lund University. http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/article/modern-alchemy-creates-luminescent-iron-molecules
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