Maksym Kovalenko receives Rössler Prize

Maksym Kovalenko, researcher at Empa and ETH Zurich is being recognised for his work on bright nanoparticles with this year's Rössler Prize, which carries an endowment of 200,000 Swiss francs in research funding. A brilliant blue, a luminous green, a deep red - the range of colours Maksym Kovalenko presents in an array of test tubes in his lab is fascinating. But what is fascinating about the colours isn't just that they shine so brightly, but also that they are the product of a remarkable idea that could set new standards in many areas. Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, classifies the chemistry professor's achievements as: "Maksym Kovalenko's work provides vital stimulus for both basic research and new applications." That is why Kovalenko was awarded this year's Rössler Prize at the ETH Foundation's annual "Thanks Giving" event. The colours in the test tubes are produced by tiny, glowing nanocrystals known as quantum dots. What Kovalenko discovered a few years ago was that these quantum dots could also be manufactured from special semiconductor materials; known as metal halide perovskites. "Our quantum dots shine much brighter and and exhibit purest colors as compared to those known previously," he explains with visible pride.