Korean scientists develop long-life LED light

A team of Korean scientists has developed a fundamental technology that would prolong the life expectancy of light-emitting diode (LED) fluorescent lamps. The team, led by Im Won-bin, a professor of new materials engineering at Chonnam National University, said Wednesday that the research team developed a new fluorescent substance that the scientists claimed would address the issue of heat stability and maintain the intensity of light.

The team has developed “smart self-healing fluorescent substance” whose intensity of light does not decrease even if the temperature increases. The scientists claimed that the substance was designed to have the internal natrium resolve the light extinction issue on its own. The natrium ions move the energy the fluorescent substance obtained while absorbing light to the center of the luminous body. During the process, the fluorescent substance changes its own structure and combination to prevent the light intensity from diminishing.

Im said that while the technology for reducing light extinction had been developed by other scientists, his team was the first to fundamentally address the issue by taking advantage of the substance’s intrinsic attributes. The team published their research results in the February 14 issue of the journal Nature Materials and registered their patents at home and abroad.

yskwon@donga.com