The thin film coating is made from europium, an element typically used for control rods in nuclear reactors due to its ability to absorb neutrons.
Developed by researchers from Hokkaido University in Japan, the technology can improve plant production speed and has the potential to help address global food supply issues.
During photosynthesis, plants convert visible light to energy. But in addition to visible light, sunlight also contains ultraviolet (UV) light. The team aimed to provide plants with additional visible light to use in photosynthesis by employing a wavelength-converting material (WCM) that can convert the UV light into red light.
Researchers developed a WCM based on a europium complex and made a thin-film coating that can be applied to commercially available plastic sheets.
Image credit: ICReD...