States » EastPosted at: Oct 28 2026 3:50PM


NIT-Rourkela team develops safer alternatives to lead-based materials

Bhubaneswar, Oct 28 (UNI) NIT Rourkela researchers, in collaboration with scientists from IIT Guwahati, IIT Bombay and NISER Bhubaneswar, have developed lead-free materials that switch their light-emission properties in response to changes in heat and moisture.
The team developed bismuth-based organic-inorganic compounds as safer alternatives to lead-based photoluminescent materials, which pose environmental and health risks due to lead toxicity.
The material exhibits reversible changes in light emission in response to heat and moisture. When heated, it loses water trapped in its structure and emits blue light under ultraviolet (UV) exposure. On absorbing moisture again, the blue emission disappears, enabling potential applications in humidity sensing and security verification.
The material could be incorporated into special inks for certificates, signatures and security labels, allowing authenticity checks under UV light after controlled heating. Its moisture-sensitive properties may also help monitor humidity in food packaging and storage facilities.
The findings have been published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry C. The paper was co-authored by Prof. Saroj L. Samal and research scholar Subhasish Sahoo of NIT Rourkela, along with researchers from the collaborating institutions.
“The most interesting aspect of this material is its ability to undergo reversible structural transformation in response to heat and moisture, accompanied by changes in its light emission properties,” Prof. Samal said.
The team has also developed related lead-free materials that emit yellow light under UV exposure. By combining the material with a commercially available blue-light emitter, the researchers produced a white LED with a cool, daylight-like appearance that maintained stable emission during continuous operation.
The researchers plan to improve the materials’ light-emission efficiency and long-term stability and explore their integration into practical devices for optical security, environmental monitoring and energy-efficient lighting.
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