Friday, 22nd August 2008 (395 views)

Medieval stained-glass windows that were painted with gold were the earliest form of nanotechnology, according to research by Queensland University of Technology.

A team of experts discovered that church windows decorated with gold "purify the air when they are lit up by sunlight".

Tiny particles of gold energised by the sun can destroy air-borne pollutants and paint containing such particles adorns windows in several churches across Europe, said Professor Zhu Huai Yong.

He added that makers of the ancient decorations were unknowingly the first nanotechnologists.

Professor Yong stated: "For centuries people appreciated only the beautiful works of art and long life of the colours, but little did they realise that these works of art are also, in modern language, photo-catalytic air purifiers."

The use of gold nanoparticles in medicine has been the focus of many studies, including potential treatment for cancerous tumours.

 

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