Chemistry Nobel for Prof. Moungi Bawendi

Dear members of the MIT community,

We woke up this morning to some wonderful news:

Moungi Bawendi, the Lester Wolfe Professor of Chemistry, has been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for “the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.” He shares the award with Louis Brus of Columbia University and Alexei Ekimov of Nanocrystals Technology.

Quantum dots are particles of matter so extraordinarily small that their properties, including their color, are governed not by the conventional rules of chemistry but by quantum phenomena. The Nobel Foundation recognized Professor Bawendi because he “revolutionised the chemical production of quantum dots, resulting in almost perfect particles. This high quality was necessary for them to be utilised in applications,” which so far range from electronics to solar energy to biomedicine.

It’s hard to think of a more elegant expression of Mind and Hand.

We join Moungi’s family, his department, and his friends and colleagues around the world in celebrating this rare honor.

With admiration and wonder,

Sally Kornbluth
President