A trio of US-based researchers on Wednesday won the Nobel Chemistry Prize for developing tiny "quantum dots" used to illuminate TVs and lamps, hours after a prematurely sent statement revealed their names. French-born Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus of the United States and Russian-born Alexei Ekimov brought advances on tiny particles that "now spread their light from televisions and LED lamps, and can also guide surgeons when they remove tumour tissue," the jury said.
But a rare leak led to the winners' names being mistakenly sent to media outlets hours before they were officially announced, prompting an apology from the awards' overseers.
Hans Ellegren, Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, said a press release went out for "still unknown reasons."
"We deeply regret that this happened. The important thing is that it did not affect the awarding of the prize recipients in any way," Ellegren said during a press conference.
However, Bawendi told reporters he had not heard the news before receiving the call from the Nobel Committee.
"I didn't know, I was I was awakened by the Swedish Academy. I was sound asleep," he said via telephone during a press conference, noting it he had not expected the call.
Mr Bawendi listed his feelings as "very surprised. Sleepy, shocked. Unexpected and very honoured."
Nobel leaks are rare, with the various prize-awarding academies going to great lengths to keep the winners' names under wraps until the announcements.
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