n a quiet laboratory tucked into the third
floor of the chemistry building, a dozen or
so vials of colorful liquid clutter a table.
Mohammad Omary, an associate
professor of chemistry at the University
of North Texas, gestures to the trays of
test tubes.
"This," Omary says, "is where we do
the dirty work."
Here, UNT researchers from chem-
istry and materials science and engineer-
ing are rethinking a 130-year-old standby
of modern technology - the light bulb.
Their goal: design new lighting sources that
are eco-friendly yet affordable, long-lasting
and safe, simple in structure yet brilliant
white in color.
Led by Omary, the team of faculty
and student researchers is pioneering inno-
vative research in the field of organic light-
emitting diodes, or OLEDs, an emerging
technology that scientists say could revolu-
tionize lighting.
)I ILI )1, I II lomOI N
Often made on paper-thin flexible
plastic bases, OLEDs could be a reality in
homes and businesses across the country
within the next decade.
The slim structure could lend itself to
a variety of applications. Bedrooms could
be wallpapered in light-emitting sheets.
Football quarterbacks could receive play
calls on tiny screens sewn into their uni-
forms. Television and computer screens
undoubtedly will be flatter than ever before.
The technology's importance is clear.
Lighting consumes nearly one-quarter of all
electricity produced in the United States.
OLEDs require far less energy to produce
UNT RESEARCH SPRING 2009 } ~
