Final Report Summary - EMIL (Exceptional Materials via Ionic Liquids)
With her Starting Grant, Professor Anja-Verena Mudring studies novel smart materials to produce energy-efficient light sources that would also be competitive on the market and environmentally safe. A significant amount of electricity could be saved if more energy efficient light sources were used. For instance, the recently banned conventional incandescent lamps convert most of the energy to heat rather than to luminosity. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) used in home illumination or light emitting diodes (LEDs) found in in traffic lights are more energy efficient, but their current manufacturing process employs hazardous and rare materials which are harmful to both the environment and human health. These could now be replaced by environmentally friendly ones such as noble gas xenon, characterised by safer production and end-of-life processes. Prof. Mudring’s team employs nano-energy-conversion phosphors coated by means of new ionic liquids-based techniques. Ionic liquids production does not require toxic and difficult synthesis steps. It allows a reduction of reaction times and temperature, less chemicals are needed and smaller particles are obtained with high phosphor content. The researcher hopes this new method will provide a competitive alternative to traditional light bulbs, which would be less harmful to human health and the environment.” Taken from the ERC Annual Report 2012. This describes the achievement of the project quite well. If desired a revised version can be provided.