Chemists followed their noses

Following a lead from some research done at the University of North Carolina, the researchers decided to see if treating the quantum dots with metal salts would have a brightening effect. They noticed that some of the salts seemed to produce a small -- 10 to 20 percent -- but noticeable improvement.

"They were acetate salts and they smelled a bit like acetic acid," said McBride. "We knew that acetic acid binds to the quantum dots so we decided to give it a try."

The decision to follow their nose proved to be fortunate. The acetic acid treatment bumped up the quantum dots fluorescent efficiency from eight percent to 20 percent!

Acetic acid is a member of the carbocyclic acid family. So the researchers tried the other members in the family. They found that the simplest and most acidic member -- formic acid, the chemical that ants use to mark their paths -- worked the best, pushing the efficiency as high as 45 percent.

The brightness boost had an unexpected side effect. It shifted the peak of the color spectrum of the quantum dots slightly into the blue. This is ironic because the major complaint of white-light LEDs is that the light they produce has an unpleasant blue tint. However, the researchers maintain that they know how to correct the color-balance of the boosted light.

The researchers' next step is to test different methods for encapsulating the enhanced quantum dots.

Other contributors to the study include graduate students Teresa E. Rosson, Sarah M. Claiborne and undergraduate research student Benjamin Stratton, who is now at Columbia University.

Just as HDTV provided viewers with a new television experience, LED lighting provides an enhanced lighting experience. Consumers have complained that the light emitted by LEDs is too harsh, however, there are several techniques manufacturers and consumers can employ improve light quality. The light from LEDs can be classified as either cool or warm, and these color temperatures can be adjusted and mixed based on personal preferences. LEDs are available in different colors, and color mixing technology can create spectacular mood lighting and other special effects. With integrated wireless control, consumers can enjoy a connected lifestyle and use mobile apps to command their lighting systems to turn on and off, or dim to an ambient setting as well as control temperature and color mixing.

LEDs are categorized as solid-state lighting – which means they use semiconductor technology. The LED light is a semiconductor chip that requires another chip, called an LED driver, to supply stable power to LEDs, improve electrical efficiency and regulate performance. LED driver electronics play a significant role in helping manufacturers) develop products with the features that will accelerate the mass adoption of LED lighting.