A new technique uses "molecular antennas" to funnel electrical energy into insulating nanoparticles, creating a new class of ultra-pure near-infrared LEDs for medical diagnostics, optical communications, and sensing.

Researchers at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge have developed a new method to electrically power insulating nanoparticles, a feat previously thought impossible under normal conditions. By attaching organic molecules that act as tiny antennas, they have created the first-ever light-emitting diodes (LEDs) from these materials