Bulk Organic-Inorganic Methylammonium Lead Halide Perovskite Single Crystals for Indirect Gamma Ray Detection

Capillary Manganese Halide Needle-Like Array Scintillator with Isolated Light Crosstalk for Micro-X-Ray Imaging

The exacerbation of inherent light scattering with increasing scintillator thickness poses a major challenge for balancing the thickness-dependent spatial resolution and scintillation brightness in X-ray imaging scintillators. Herein, a thick pixelated needle-like array scintillator capable of micrometer resolution is fabricated via waveguide structure engineering. Specifically, this involves integrating a straightforward low-temperature melting process of manganese halide with an aluminum-clad capillary template. In this waveguide structure, the oriented scintillation photons propagate along the well-aligned scintillator and are confined within individual pixels by the aluminum reflective cladding, as substantiated from the comprehensive analysis including laser diffraction experiments. Consequently, thanks to isolated light-crosstalk channels and robust light output due to increased thickness, ultrahigh spatial resolutions of 60.8 and 51.7 lp mm-1 at a modulation transfer function (MTF) of 0.2 are achieved on 0.5 mm and even 1 mm thick scintillators, respectively, which both exceed the pore diameter of the capillary arrays' template (Φ = 10 µm). As far as it is known, these micrometer resolutions are among the highest reported metal halide scintillators and are never demonstrated on such thick scintillators. Here an avenue is presented to the demand for thick scintillators in high-resolution X-ray imaging across diverse scientific and practical fields.

Scintillation Properties of CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals Prepared by Ligand-Assisted Reprecipitation and Dual Effect of Polyacrylate Encapsulation toward Scalable Ultrafast Radiation Detectors

Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (LHP-NCs) embedded in polymeric hosts are gaining attention as scalable and low-cost scintillation detectors for technologically relevant applications. Despite rapid progress, little is currently known about the scintillation properties and stability of LHP-NCs prepared by the ligand assisted reprecipitation (LARP) method, which allows mass scalability at room temperature unmatched by any other type of nanostructure, and the implications of incorporating LHP-NCs into polyacrylate hosts are still largely debated. Here, we show that LARP-synthesized CsPbBr3 NCs are comparable to particles from hot-injection routes and unravel the dual effect of polyacrylate incorporation, where the partial degradation of LHP-NCs luminescence is counterbalanced by the passivation of electron-poor defects by the host acrylic groups. Experiments on NCs with tailored surface defects show that the balance between such antithetical effects of polymer embedding is determined by the surface defect density of the NCs and provide guidelines for further material optimization.

Light Management of Metal Halide Scintillators for High-Resolution X-Ray Imaging

The ever-growing need to inspect matter with hyperfine structures requires a revolution in current scintillation detectors, and the innovation of scintillators is revived with luminescent metal halides entering the scene. Notably, for any scintillator, two fundamental issues arise: Which kind of material is suitable and in what form should the material exist? The answer to the former question involves the sequence of certain atoms into specific crystal structures that facilitate the conversion of X-ray into light, whereas the answer to the latter involves assembling these crystallites into particular material forms that can guide light propagation toward its corresponding pixel detector. Despite their equal importance, efforts are overwhelmingly devoted to improving the X-ray-to-light conversion, while the material-form-associated light propagation, which determines the optical signal collected for X-ray imaging, is largely overlooked. This perspective critically correlates the reported spatial resolution with the light-propagation behavior in each form of metal halides, combing the designing rules for their future development.

Recent Development of Halide Perovskite Materials and Devices for Ionizing Radiation Detection

Ionizing radiation such as X-rays and γ-rays has been extensively studied and used in various fields such as medical imaging, radiographic nondestructive testing, nuclear defense, homeland security, and scientific research. Therefore, the detection of such high-energy radiation with high-sensitivity and low-cost-based materials and devices is highly important and desirable. Halide perovskites have emerged as promising candidates for radiation detection due to the large light absorption coefficient, large resistivity, low leakage current, high mobility, and simplicity in synthesis and processing as compared with commercial silicon (Si) and amorphous selenium (a-Se). In this review, we provide an extensive overview of current progress in terms of materials development and corresponding device architectures for radiation detection. We discuss the properties of a plethora of reported compounds involving organic-inorganic hybrid, all-inorganic, all-organic perovskite and antiperovskite structures, as well as the continuous breakthroughs in device architectures, performance, and environmental stability. We focus on the critical advancements of the field in the past few years and we provide valuable insight for the development of next-generation materials and devices for radiation detection and imaging applications.

Highly Efficient, Flexible, and Eco-Friendly Manganese(II) Halide Nanocrystal Membrane with Low Light Scattering for High-Resolution X-ray Imaging

Scintillators enable invisible X-ray to be converted into ultraviolet (UV)/visible light that can be collected using a sensor array and is the core component of the X-ray imaging system. However, combining the excellent properties of high light output, high spatial resolution, flexibility, non-toxicity, and cost effectiveness into a single X-ray scintillator remains a great challenge. Herein, a novel scintillator based on benzyltriphenylphosphonium manganese(II) bromide (BTP₂MnBr₄) nanocrystal (NC) membranes was developed by the in situ fabrication strategy. The long Mn-Mn distance provided by the large BTP cation allows the nonradiative energy dissipation in this manganese(II) halide to be significantly suppressed. As a result, the flexible BTP₂MnBr₄ NC scintillator shows an excellent linear response to the X-ray dose rate, a high light yield of ∼71,000 photon/MeV, a low detection limit of 86.2 nGy_air/s at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, a strong radiation hardness, and a long-term thermal stability. Thanks to the low Rayleigh scattering associated with the dense distribution of nanometer-scale emitters, light cross-talk in X-ray imaging is greatly suppressed. The impressively high-spatial resolution X-ray imaging (23.8 lp/mm at modulation transfer function = 0.2 and >20 lp/mm for a standard pattern chart) was achieved on this scintillator. Moreover, well-resolved 3D dynamic rendering X-ray projections were also successfully demonstrated using this scintillator. These results shed light on designing efficient, flexible, and eco-friendly scintillators for high-resolution X-ray imaging.

Electrically Modulated Near-Infrared/Visible Light Dual-Mode Perovskite Photodetectors

Dual-mode photodetectors (PDs) have attracted increasing interest owing to their potential optoelectrical applications. However, the widespread use of PDs is still limited by the high cost of epitaxial semiconductors. In contrast, the solution processability and wide spectral tunability of perovskites have led to the development of various inexpensive and high-performance optoelectronic devices. In this study, we develop a high-performance electronically modulated dual-mode PD with near-infrared (NIR) narrowband and visible light broadband detection based on organic-inorganic hybrid methylammonium lead halide perovskite (MAPbX₃; MA = CH₃NH₃ and X = Cl, Br, and I) single crystals with a pnp configuration. The operating mode of the dual-mode PD can be switched according to voltage bias polarity because the photon absorption region and carrier transport performance are tuned at different bias voltages. The dual-mode PD exhibits a NIR light responsivity of 0.244 A/W and a narrow full width at half-maximum of ∼12 nm at 820 nm at positive voltages and an average visible light responsivity of ∼0.13 A/W at negative voltages. The detectivities of both modes are high (∼10¹² Jones), and the linear dynamic range is wide (>100 dB). Our study provides a new method for fabricating multifunctional PDs and can expand their application in integrated imaging systems.

Nanosecond and Highly Sensitive Scintillator Based on All-Inorganic Perovskite Single Crystals

The scintillator is a unique class of luminescent materials, which is of great significance in clinical diagnosis, security inspection, and radiation detection. Herein, an all-inorganic Cs₄PbI₆ single crystals (SCs) as a nanosecond and an efficient X-ray and α particle scintillator is described. The radioluminescence (RL) spectrum of Cs₄PbI₆ SCs under X-ray excitation consists of a band gap emission at 310 nm and a broadband emission at 552 nm at room temperature. Furthermore, Cs₄PbI₆ SCs demonstrate nanosecond decay times of 0.95 and 6.86 ns, a high sensitivity to low-energy X-ray (30 keV) with a low detection limit (187 nGy_air/s), and a favorable linearity detection range, potentially enabling their broad application in X-ray imaging. Under ²³⁷Np α particle irradiation, the light yield of Cs₄PbI₆ SCs is about 49.5% of that of a BGO scintillator with an energy resolution of 35% at 4.78 MeV. Our results demonstrate the potential of Cs₄PbI₆ SCs as a nanosecond and low-cost scintillator in radiation detection applications.

Durable Flexible Polymer-Encapsulated Cs4PbI6 Thin Film for High Sensitivity X-ray Detection

Because of the extraordinary properties including high atomic numbers and large μτ products, metal halide perovskites have been widely employed and used for radiation detecting. Cs₄PbI₆ material has a high X-ray attenuation coefficient and excellent electrical properties that have a good potential in X-ray detection applications. Here, we have designed a flexible polymer-encapsulated Au/Cs₄PbI₆/Au X-ray detector with outstanding sensitivity of 256.20 μC Gy^-1 cm^-2 irradiated by 30 keV X-ray at 10 V bias, long-time stability, and durable flexibility without obvious degradation after bending for 600 cycles. These features demonstrate that this polymer-encapsulated durable flexible and sensitive X-ray detector could open a new possibility for next-generation radiation applications in dosimeter, imaging technologies.

Halide perovskites scintillators: unique promise and current limitations

The widespread use of X- and gamma-rays in a range of sectors including healthcare, security and industrial screening is underpinned by the efficient detection of the ionising radiation. Such detector applications are dominated by indirect detectors in which a scintillating material is combined with a photodetector. Halide perovskites have recently emerged as an interesting class of semiconductors, showing enormous promise in optoelectronic applications including solar cells, light-emitting diodes and photodetectors. Here, we discuss how the same superior semiconducting properties that have catalysed their rapid development in these optoelectronic devices, including high photon attenuation and fast and efficient emission properties, also make them promising scintillator materials. By outlining the key mechanisms of their operation as scintillators, we show why reports of remarkable performance have already emerged, and describe how further learning from other optoelectronic devices will propel forward their applications as scintillators. Finally, we outline where these materials can make the greatest impact in detector applications by maximally exploiting their unique properties, leading to dramatic improvements in existing detection systems or introducing entirely new functionality.

A Review on X-ray Excited Emission Decay Dynamics in Inorganic Scintillator Materials

Scintillator materials convert high-energy radiation into photons in the ultraviolet to visible light region for radiation detection. In this review, advances in X-ray emission dynamics of inorganic scintillators are presented, including inorganic halides (alkali-metal halides, alkaline-earth halides, rare-earth halides, oxy-halides, rare-earth oxyorthosilicates, halide perovskites), oxides (binary oxides, complex oxides, post-transition metal oxides), sulfides, rare-earth doped scintillators, and organic-inorganic hybrid scintillators. The origin of scintillation is strongly correlated to the host material and dopants. Current models are presented describing the scintillation decay lifetime of inorganic materials, with the emphasis on the short-lived scintillation decay component. The whole charge generation and the de-excitation process are analyzed in general, and an essential role of the decay kinetics is the de-excitation process. We highlighted three decay mechanisms in cross luminescence emission, exitonic emission, and dopant-activated emission, respectively. Factors regulating the origin of different luminescence centers controlling the decay process are discussed.

Highly Sensitive and Stable X-ray Detector Based on a 0D Structural Cs4PbI6 Single Crystal

Lead halide perovskite single crystals with a high X-ray stopping power and large μτ product have been successfully used for X-ray detection. However, poor air stability and ionic migration lead to the degradation of the devices for long-term operations. Here, we report a solution-processed lead 0D bulk Cs₄PbI₆ single crystal, which have I atoms in isolated [PbI₆]^4-. This 0D Cs₄PbI₆ single crystal has a μτ product of 9.7 × 10^-4 cm² V^-1 and an activation energy of 321.28 meV. We have fabricated a photoconductor device with a symmetric Au/Cs₄PbI₆/Au sandwich structure, which exhibits a high sensitivity of 451.49 μC Gy^-1 cm^-2 under 30 keV X-ray irradiation at an applied voltage of 30 V. After storing the device in air at room temperature for three months, the device retains nearly the same sensitivity as the original. These results demonstrate that this 0D Cs₄PbI₆ perovskite single crystal has great potential for practical X-ray detection applications.

Low temperature scintillation performance of a Br-doped CH3NH3PbCl3 single-crystalline perovskite

Time response and light yield are two of the most important features of a scintillation detector, and are mostly determined by the luminescence properties of the scintillator. Here we have investigated the radioluminescence (RL) characteristics of a single-crystalline hybrid lead halide perovskite at both room temperature and low temperature. A dual-channel single photon correlation (DCSPC) system with a vacuum chamber is employed for the measurement. A rise time faster than 100 ps and several times enhancement of the crystal scintillation performances at low temperature have been observed. These behaviors demonstrated that bulk solution-grown single crystals of hybrid lead halide perovskites (MAPbCl₃ and Br-doped MAPbBr_0.08Cl_2.92, where MA = CH₃NH₃) can serve as stable scintillating materials for pulsed gamma detectors. In addition, this work provides a pathway for perovskite application and also attracts attention to investigating low-temperature scintillators.

Time response and light yield are two of the most important features of a scintillation detector, and are mostly determined by the luminescence properties of the scintillator.

Preparation of Lead-free Two-Dimensional-Layered (C8H17NH3)2SnBr4 Perovskite Scintillators and Their Application in X-ray Imaging

Scintillators, as spectral and energy transformers, are essential for X-ray imaging applications. However, their current disadvantages, including high-temperature sintering and generation of agglomerated powders or large bulk crystals, may not meet the increasing demands of low cost, nontoxicity, and flexible radiation detection. Thus, improved perovskite scintillators are developed in this research. A hybrid perovskite ((C₈H₁₇NH₃)₂SnBr₄), which is nontoxic, lead-free, and organic-inorganic, is developed as a scintillator with good emission performance and radioluminescence intensity. These perovskite scintillators are synthesized at low temperatures in an aqueous acid solution, through which they generate a near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield of 98% with the excitation of ultraviolet light. As far as we know, this work is the first to show that the two-dimensional (2D) (C₈H₁₇NH₃)₂SnBr₄ perovskite scintillator films prepared by coating a polymer layer can be applied to an X-ray imaging system. The results demonstrate that the low cost X-ray imaging device with good resolution and performance benefits dramatically from this lead-free organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite film. Therefore, this 2D-layered (C₈H₁₇NH₃)₂SnBr₄ perovskite scintillator may be a high potential candidate for scintillating material for X-ray imaging techniques.