" For more news visit - http://english.ntdtv.com"<br /><br />Trees infused with gold nano-particles could become the streetlights of the future. That's according to a scientist in Taiwan. Experiments demonstrated that the particle-infused leaves emitted light.<br /><br />With Christmas fast approaching, much of downtown Taipei is bathed in LED lights strung through trees that line the streets.<br /><br />But a researcher at Taiwan's Academia Sinica suggests that not too far into the future, trees will glow bright enough to be used as streetlights.<br /><br />It's possible to infuse the leaves of trees with microscopic gold nano-particles that will make them emit light.<br /><br />[Dr. Su Yen-Hsun, Researcher, Taiwan Academia Sinica]:<br />"We used chemical elements to wrap around the gold nano-particle and made it into a ball shape. It is then synthesized for a second time to grow into a sea urchin-like structure. This structure is special because its tips help produce a strong electromagnetic field when light enters, and this electromagnetic field can enhance the efficiency of its light emission."<br /><br />One gram of gold is enough to light up one thousand houseplants. But more research is needed before roadside trees can realistically double as streetlamps.
