AKU researchers secure patent for LED

Gaya: A team of researchers from Aryabhatta Knowledge University (AKU), under the mentorship of Gaya-based thermal scientist Ranjit Kumar Verma, has developed a white light-emitting novel LED nanomaterial.The innovation is expected to provide brighter illumination while being safer and more soothing for the human eye compared with conventional LEDs, which typically emit high-intensity blue and violet light known to cause eye strain. The innovation has been granted a patent by the Centre with official confirmation issued from New Delhi on Wednesday.Verma, founding vice-chancellor of Munger University, former pro vice-chancellor of Patna University and retired professor of the chemistry department at Magadh University, mentored research in the field of nanomaterials and started collaboration with Rakesh Singh, who is now heading AKU’s nanotechnology Centre. The present work is an outcome of the PhD research of Bibhuti Bikramaditya under the joint supervision of Rakesh Singh and Verma.Explaining the development, Verma said, “The new hardy nanoparticles to be used in the LED are non-toxic and were synthesised in the laboratory using the citrate method, followed by heating at temperatures ranging from 800°C to 900°C for two hours. The findings were validated through extensive thermal, chemical and physical analyses.”He added, “The innovation has been granted a patent by the Government of India, with official confirmation issued from New Delhi on Wednesday. However, its commercial viability is yet to be assessed.”The breakthrough is a milestone in 15 years of collaborative research by Verma and Singh. Their work has focused on developing ultra-hard nanoparticles with distinctive magnetic, electrical and optical properties through thermal treatment of metal alloys such as magnesium, aluminium, chromium and iron.As part of the research, the team successfully synthesised nanoparticles of yttrium aluminium borate using a relatively simple process involving readily available materials.