Scientists create 'brightest known materials in existence'

A major breakthrough with fluorescents has allowed scientists to create the "brightest known materials in existence". The advance paves the way for a new class of materials that transform fluorescent dyes into solid objects, according to researchers from Indiana University in the US and the University of Copenhagen. There are more than 100,000 fluorescent dyes in existence but until now it was not possible to mix them in a predictable way in order to produce solid optical materials. The researchers formulated the new class of materials, called small-molecule ionic isolation lattices (SMILES), using positively charged fluorescent dyes to create a solid material. "These materials have potential applications in any technology that needs bright fluorescence or calls for designing optical properties, including solar energy harvesting, bioimaging, and lasers," said Amar Flood, a chemist at Indiana University and co-author of the study.