Researchers at the Warsaw University of Technology (PW) have developed a new method for producing nanocrystalline forms of zinc oxide, which show great application potential in optoelectronic and photovoltaic technologies. They can be used in medicine and nanodiagnostics, as well as a luminescent pigment for paints and varnishes. 

A new method for producing zinc oxide quantum dots has been developed by a team of researchers from the Department of Catalysis and Organometallic Chemistry of the Faculty of Chemistry at the Warsaw University of Technology: Prof. Janusz Lewiński, (team leader), Małgorzata Wolska-Pietkiewicz and Zygmunt Drużyński.

The invention has already been used, in collaboration with Prof. Michael Graetzel’s group at Lausanne University of Technology, as a component in the development of perovskite cells. 

Preliminary work shows that due to their low toxicity, zinc oxide nanoparticles obtained by this novel method can serve as markers or carriers for anti-cancer drugs, as well as a component of biochemical sensors.