Pan, Liu & Li, Patent, International Application No. PCT/US11/24268 (Feb. 10, 2011)

1. New Eu2+-Activated Yellow Phosphor for Warm-White LEDs through Single-Phosphor-ConversionZhengwei Pan, University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc, DMR 0955908 White light sources based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have a promising future in general illumination. For indoor lighting, the white light should be warm [i.e., correlated color temperature (CCT) <4000 K] with good color rendition [i.e., color rendering index (CRI) >80]. However, no single phosphor can simultaneously satisfy the color temperature and color rendition requirements mainly due to a lack of a red spectral component in its emission spectrum. We have synthesized a new Eu2+-activated yellow phosphor that can simultaneously achieve CCT <4000 K and CRI >80 when singly combined with a blue LED. The good color rendition is due to the sufficient red component in the broad yellow emission band of the phosphor. The yellow phosphor is Eu2+-activated barium europium aluminate, synthesized by a thermal evaporation method. The phosphor is in the forms of nanoribbons and nanoparticles. Digital image of a prototype warm-white LED made of a 470 nm blue LED and a Eu2+-activated yellow phosphor. The white LED delivers a warm-white light with CCT = 3900 K and CRI = 82. The inset is the Eu2+-activated yellow phosphor imaged under the excitation of a 365 nm ultraviolet lamp. Pan, Liu & Li, Patent, International Application No. PCT/US11/24268 (Feb. 10, 2011)

2. NanoArt and Nanotechnology EducationZhengwei Pan, University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc, DMR 0955908 As a nanotechnology-related CAREER proposal, it is important to bring high school and undergraduate students into research. In this past summer, one high school student (Braden Lapp) and three undergraduate students (Forrest Sherman, Xiaoxuan Dai, and Matthew Miller) joined the PI’s lab to gain hands-on laboratory experience in nanomaterial synthesis, optical property measurement, SEM imaging, and/or NanoArt creation. Besides training high school and undergraduate students in research, another important education goal for the present CAREER proposal is to use NanoArt to educate general public on the movement of nanoscience and nanotechnology. In the past year, we have disseminated our NanoArt to several organizations for education purpose, including Nathan Publisher, The Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Top: High school student Braden Lapp (front right; Athens Academy) and undergraduate students Forrest Sherman (front left, UGA) and Xiaoxuan Dai (second row right; Emory University) posed with the PI’s group member beside a scanning electron microscope. Bottom Left: A NanoArt hung in the entrance area of Building 125 of The Arsenal Partnerships. Bottom Right: A NanoArt used in textbook Physique Chimie (2011).