Chinese scientists have discovered a special glass that can absorb and block dangerous ultraviolet rays.
UV light can harm living cells, and out in space where radiation from the sun is even greater, sensitive electronics on board a spacecraft can suffer even more damage.
Thus researchers from South China University of Technology in Guangzhou developed a method to create transparent and glass-based materials with the power and lifespan to absorb UV rays. They used cerium (IV) oxide (CeO2), a metal oxide with a renowned ability to absorb photons, to make the composite glass-based UV absorber.
The material is optically transparent and can prevent the separation of photo-generated electrons and holes, which would hinder its own breakdown under prolonged UV radiation exposure.
Author Shifeng Zhou highlighted the self-limited nanocrystallization of glass as the technique they used.
“This work establishes an effective approach for the functionalization of glass,” the researcher said.
The special glass they created, for instance boasts an extremely great UV-absorbing capability while suppressing photocatalytic and catalytic action. Chlorophyll is one natural example of a photocatalyst, but unlike it, a man-made photocatalyst creates great oxidation and electronic holes.
“Our glass shows excellent optical quality, and it can be easily fabricated either in bulk form or as a film,” added Zhou, citing how it can protect living cells and organic dye from UV damage, for instance.
This special glass not only serves as a biological shield, but also protects and preserves electronic devices and cultural artifacts from this form of radiation. In space, a radiation-blocking layer of transparent glass or polymer material on the surface of electronic equipment can protect them and prolong their service.
The team intends to develop more new, effective glass-based UV-absorbing materials using this method and explore the functionalization of glass based on the wonders of its microstructure engineering.
“[W]e believe this fundamental research may have great significant for the glass industry,” Zhou said.
The team published its findings in the journal Optical Materials Express.
