Quantum Materials Corporation

Quantum Materials Corporation is a San Marcos, Texas-based nanotechnology company that manufactures tetrapod-shaped quantum dots (QDs) for various technologies including biotech, optoelectronics, and photovoltaic solar cells through its wholly owned subsidiary Solterra Renewable Technologies, Inc. Quantum Materials Corp. is unique within the nanotechnology market, as it is currently the only company capable of bulk manufacturing tetrapod-shaped quantum dots with a high degree of reliability and customizability.
About
On November 4, 2008, Solterra Renewable Technologies became a publicly listed company through a merger with Hague Corporation. Hague Corporation changed its name on April 13, 2010 to Quantum Materials Corporation to better reflect its focus on quantum dots for nanotechnology. Quantum Materials Corp. also became the parent company of Solterra Renewable Technologies Inc., which focuses on the mass production of flexible polymer quantum dot solar cells.
In May 2013 Quantum Materials Corp. moved its headquarters to STAR Park in San Marcos, Texas, a nonprofit incubator run by Texas State University.
Quantum Dots
Through an exlusive patent license agreement with Rice University, the company is able to manufacture tetrapod-shaped quantum dots through a relatively low-cost synthesis method, based on the patented invention of Dr. Michael S. Wong. The synthesis uses quaternary ammonium surfactant ligands commonly used in commercial detergent products instead of expensive and toxic octacedene and TOPS to yield highly uniform and full-shaped tetrapod quantum dots.
Quantum dots are nanocrystals whose electronic properties are between those of bulk semiconductors and discrete molecules. Their emission wavelength (emission color) depends on the size of the crystal. Quantum dot size can be controlled by changing time and temperature during synthesis, and thus also their emissive, conductive, and photovoltaic properties. These can then be used for solar technology, electronics, LCD displays, batteries, and medical diagnostics, among other areas.
Tetrapod quantum dots have unique properties distinct from common spherical quantum dots. Tetrapod QDs are capable of emitting light from multiple excited states (dual emission), breaking Kasha's rule, which states that when light is shined at a molecule, it will only emit light from its lowest energy excited state. Dual emission of two colors occurs by separate photon emission from the tetrapod quantum dot core and arms.
Quantum Dot Solar Cells
Quantum Materials Corp. manufactures tetrapod quantum dots for its subsidiary, Solterra Renewable Technologies Inc., which uses them to manufacture solar cells using a proprietary thin film semiconductor technology. Quantum dot solar cells use quantum dots as the absorbing photovoltaic material, as opposed to the more common silicon. Hanna and Nozik of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado showed in 2005 that quantum dot solar cells hav the potential to generate multiple exciton generation quantum yields of up to 300% by producing 3 electrons for each photon, whereas other methods are limited to 1 electron per photon. This means that quantum dot solar cells have the potential for greatly improved conversion efficiency, opening the way for more powerful and cost-effective electricity production.
Tetrapod quantum dots have four arms emanating from the quantum dot's core that act as optical rectennas in absorbing photons, and longer arms absord more than shorter arms, which positively affects charge (or electron) transport while reducing hopping, diffusion, and recombination.
Solterra Renewable Technologies Inc. has an exclusive license with the University of Arizona Regents to use Dr. Ghassan Jabbour's patented printing technology for the production of its quantum dot solar cells and printed electronics. By using high quantum yield tetrapod quantum dots, Solterra Renewable Technoloqies' goal is to produce solar cells that compete on a non-subsidized basis with the price of retail electricity across the world by combining patented low-cost production of tetrapod quantum dots with high-speed roll-to-roll printing.
Awards
*2012 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Enabling Technology

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