hankyoreh

South Korean scientists said Monday that they have developed the technology to make next-generation solar cells and infrared sensors.

The team, led by Lee Kwang-sup, an advanced materials professor at Hannam University in Daejeon, said it was able to pack 3-nanometer-sized quantum dots into carbon nanotubes. A nanometer is equivalent to a billionth of one meter.

Nanotubes are new industrial materials that are expected to be used extensively for next-generation semiconductors, batteries and other products.

Lee said that once the technique is fully perfected, people will be able to put flexible solar cells into tents and clothes, and wireless communication batteries will be able to be rolled up for easy storage and enhanced portability.

The team's paper on the technology was published in the latest issue of the Germany-based "Advanced Materials" journal and the Web site of the American Chemical Society.

The scientists also said that because quantum dots have properties that can allow them to detect infrared emissions, the quantum dot-nanotube combination could have military, medical and space applications. For instance, a satellite equipped with quantum dots could detect climate change.

The technology has been submitted for an international patent, with some U.S. companies expressing interest in its further development and use.

The South Korean team plans to announce details of its technology at the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry gathering, planned for next month in New York.

DAEJEON, May 14 (Yonhap News)