Shrink Nanotechnologies acquires exclusive license for ‘electronic glue’

Dr Dmitri Talapin, assistant professor of chemistry, has developed a means of switching molecules on the surface of nanocrystals in order to increase their ability to transfer electrons from one to the other. Shrink hopes the technology will accelerate advances in semiconductor based technologies such as light emitting devices and solar cells. According to the company, prior to Dr Talapin's innovation, nanocrystals were unable to efficiently transfer electric charges to one another because of surface ligands, which are used in the nanocrystal synthesis process. The surface ligands are bulky, insulating organic molecules that cap nanocrystals. Dr Talapin's 'electronic glue' is said to solve the ligand problem by substituting insulating organic molecules with inorganic molecules which increases the electronic coupling between nanocrystals. "We believe this IP has the potential to radically change the economics in a number of burgeoning large industries, including printed semiconductors, roll to roll printed solar cells and a new generation of low cost printed nano sensors," said Mark Baum, ceo of Shrink Nanotechnologies. "We have been working on nanocrystal applications since we started Shrink. We believe what we have is the potential to build low cost, tunable, solid state semiconductors which perform like bulk semiconductors, but which maintain all of the tremendous benefits that semiconductor nanocrystals offer."