Zinc Gallogermantes

Zinc what? Gallogermantes!

Its formula is:

Zn₃Ga₂Ge₂O₁₀:0.5%Cr³⁺

Sometimes (and I am sure you can appreciate why) it is referred to as a ‘complex oxide compound’ ^[1]

Why all of the fuss? Well this compound has recently been unveiled as a remarkable substance – it is possible for it to release two weeks worth of (for want of a better word) ‘night vision emission’ after only one minutes exposure to the sun.

Note – this is not a glow in the dark material – it would require night vision lenses to view it. The chromium ion is responsible for releasing the ligt energy (at the near IR range) but the zinc produces a ‘trap’ that slows the release of light. Try as I might I can’t find any more information on how this trap works and conceptually I struggle with this idea.

The material does not even need to be exposed to direct sunlight – it can charge itself in shadows or underwater.

One possible non military use of this material is that it could potentially be made into nanoparticles that could in theory be targeted to cancer cells – making the cancer much easier to detect.

^[1] Source = www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15824288, accessed on 23rd November 2011 at 9:10am