Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals or quantum dots (NCs) are small, highly fluorescent inorganic particles that potentially combine the positive qualities of crystalline semiconductors and small organic molecules. Recently, researchers have discovered a fundamental chemical reaction mechanism underlying low temperature preparations of II-VI and IV-VI chalcogenide NCs, such as CdSe or PbSe NCs. The overall goal of the project will involve scaling up the NC synthesis reaction 1000-fold, while maintaining high quality nanoparticles as measured by standard metrics. The general approach is to use NC chemical precursor molecules with tunable reactivity to control rates of NC growth. Researchers will have the ability to nucleate huge amounts of smaller NCs and then use these nanoparticles to seed the growth of larger sized NCs on a much bigger scale than traditionally used. There will be particular focus on near-infrared NCs, which are not available commercially, and which fluoresce at bio-medically relevant wavelengths where organic dyes emit poorly.
NCs can potentially drive novel technology in areas that are traditionally the exclusive domain of either molecules (such as biomedical imaging) or bulk inorganic semiconductors (such as solar cells, displays, light emitting devices, and novel lasers). For example, NCs have many advantages over organic dyes traditionally used for biological imaging including much brighter fluorescence, significantly more photostability, and the ability to image at several wavelengths simultaneously. By the end of this project researchers plan to have developed the methodology to synthesize on the large scale core-shell NCs, for visible and infrared photonic applications, providing a very large set of potential opportunities for a startup company based on this technology.
Our I-Corps team (Principle Investigator (PI), Entrepreneurial Lead (EL), Business Mentor) went into the course thinking that because we could make colloidal semiconductor nanoparticles potentially one thousand times cheaper than what was being sold commerically that we would have a viable business based around this idea. During the I-Corps course and interview process we discovered that we were wrong and had to change our thinking. In fact, many of the problems with nanoparticles for biomedical research were not related to their cost. However, due to the extensive process of customer discovery that we were put through during the I-Corps program, we came upon an even better idea for our nanoparticle technology: their use in fluorescent medical devices. As a result, the PI and EL decided to form a startup venture based on the idea of provided inexpensive medical devices that could emit light. We would have never arrived at this new point had we not gone through the I-Corps course. We have since written an extensive a business plan based around this idea, which was quite favorably received at a recent local business plan competition. Our future plans are to submit for NSF and/or NIH SBIR Awards such that we can continue to pursue the commercialization of these ideas. If we are successful in our business venture, there will be thousands of lives saved every year and a monetary savings of over 2.2 billion dollars to the U.S. healthcare system.
