Quantum Dot LED's to Enhance Growth in Photosynthetic Organisms

• US 20130326941A1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nanoco Technologies Limited (Nanoco Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nanoco Technologies Limited (Nanoco Group Plc)
• Inventors: Pickett, Nigel, Naasani, Imad, Harris, James, Gresty, Nathalie
• Application Number:
  US13/857,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20130326941A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 47/1.4
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 33/00 Cultivation of seaweed or algae
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/22 Transparent or translucent parts glassware for laboratory use B01L3/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 31/10 by light emitting elements located inside the reactor, e.g. LED or OLED
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/10 Filtering the incident radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/12 Unicellular algae; Culture media therefor as new plants A01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/20 Bacteria; Culture media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 13/00 Treatment of microorganisms or enzymes with electrical or wave energy, e.g. magnetism, sonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035218 the quantum structure being quantum dots
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/774 Exhibiting three-dimensional carrier confinement, e.g. quantum dots
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/834 Optical properties of nanomaterial, e.g. specified transparency, opacity, or index of refraction

Abstract

Quantum dot (QD) LEDs useful for plant, algael and photosynthetic bacterial growth applications. The QD LEDs utilizes a solid state LED (typically emitting blue or UV light) as the primary light source and one or more QD elements as a secondary light source that down-converts the primary light. The emission profile of the QD LED can be tuned to correspond to the absorbance spectrum of one or more photosynthetic pigments of the organism.

Claims

1. An apparatus for promoting growth in a photosynthetic organism, the apparatus comprising:

a light emitting device comprising a primary light-emitting element that emits light at a first wavelength; and

a quantum dot (QD) population positioned to absorb a portion of light emitted by the primary light emitting element and to emit light at a second wavelength;

wherein

the primary light-emitting element is a solid state LED; and

wherein

the second wavelength corresponds to a wavelength within a peak in an absorption spectrum of a photosynthetic pigment of the photosynthetic organism.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the QD population is dispersed within a bead comprising a material selected from polymers, sol-gels, silica gel, and glass.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the bead comprises a coating disposed upon the surface of the bead, the coating comprising a material that is different than the material of the bead.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the coating comprises a material selected from polymers, or metal oxides.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the QD population is contained within an LED encapsulant that is contained within an LED package.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the QD population is provided on a substrate that is remote from the primary light-emitting element.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first wavelength is in the UV or blue region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the QD population does not contain cadmium.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the QD population comprises QDs having indium phosphide cores and shells of zinc sulphide or zinc selenide.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photosynthetic pigment is chlorophyll.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a photobioreactor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the QD population is disposed on walls of the photobioreactor.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the QD population is disposed on a substrate that is immersed within the photobioreactor.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the photobioreactor is for growing algae or bacteria.

15. A photobioreactor comprising a quantum dot (QD) population.

16. The photobioreactor of claim 15, wherein the quantum dot (QD) population is positioned to absorb a portion of light emitted by a primary light emitting element and to emit light corresponding to a wavelength within a peak in an absorption spectrum of a photosynthetic pigment of a photosynthetic bacteria or algae.

17. The photobioreactor of claim 15, wherein the QD population is disposed on or within walls of the photobioreactor.

18. The phototbioreactor of claim 15, wherein the QD population is disposed on or within a substrate submerged in the photobioreactor.