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upstart writes:

Light-emitting electrochemical cells for recyclable lighting:

A low-cost and easy-to-manufacture lighting technology can be made with light-emitting electrochemical cells. Such cells are thin-film electronic and ionic devices that generate light after a low voltage is applied. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the University of Turin have now used extensive data analysis to create first-class electrochemical cells from copper complexes that emit blue and white light.

Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are the simplest and least expensive thin-film lighting devices available to date. They consist of a single active layer. They are used, for example, as electroluminescent inks and stickers.

The effect of electroluminescence was first demonstrated in 1905. [...] Their prototypes are considered to be the first LEDs. "[...] the light-emitting electrochemical cells or LECs that we are looking at follow a different principle," explains Rubén D. Costa, Professor of Biogenic Functional Materials at TUM.

[...] "The development of inexpensive devices that emit white and blue light is highly desired and holds many benefits. However, the previous lack of blue emitters has hindered the transition from the laboratory to the real market. Accordingly, the creation of blue emitters is a general milestone in thin-film lighting. [...]

After extensive data evaluation of various known approaches, a new design has emerged for blue LECs which provide excellent performance as compared to devices with conventional emitters.

This is another example of design by ML: throwing a bunch of material properties into a machine learning algorithm and seeing what comes out.

Journal Reference:
Luca M. Cavinato et al., Multivariate Analysis Identifying [Cu(N^N)(P^P)] + Design and Device Architecture Enables First‐Class Blue and White Light‐Emitting Electrochemical Cells [open], Advanced Materials (2022).
DOI: 10.1002/adma.202109228

Original Submission