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Luminescent Lead Halide Ionic Liquids for High-Spatial-Resolution Fast Neutron Imaging
Viktoriia Morad1,2, Kyle M McCall1,2, Kostiantyn Sakhatskyi1,2
1Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir Prelog Weg 1, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
ACS Photonics
|November 25, 2021
Summary
New organic-inorganic hybrid ionic liquids offer improved fast neutron imaging. These materials provide high spatial resolution and lower gamma-ray sensitivity, outperforming traditional scintillators for detecting thick, high-Z objects.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nuclear Instrumentation
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Fast neutron imaging is crucial for analyzing dense materials but requires efficient scintillators.
- Current scintillators face limitations in spatial resolution and light reabsorption.
- Organic-inorganic halide hybrids are a promising class of materials for advanced applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate novel 0D organic-inorganic Pb(II) halide hybrids as fast neutron imaging scintillators.
- To evaluate their optical properties and performance compared to existing technologies.
- To address the need for efficient, high-resolution fast neutron detection.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of organic-inorganic Pb(II) halide hybrid ionic liquids.
- Measurement of optical properties, including photoluminescence quantum yield and Stokes shift.
- Testing of the synthesized materials as scintillators for fast neutron imaging.
- Comparison of spatial resolution and gamma-ray sensitivity with commercial ZnS:Cu screens.
Main Results:
- Developed room-temperature ionic liquids with highly Stokes-shifted, reabsorption-free emission.
- Achieved efficient light emission (photoluminescence quantum yield up to 60%) from dense emitting centers.
- Demonstrated utility as fast neutron imaging scintillators with good light yield.
- Exhibited superior spatial resolution and lower gamma-ray sensitivity than ZnS:Cu screens.
Conclusions:
- Organic-inorganic Pb(II) halide hybrid ionic liquids are effective fast neutron imaging scintillators.
- These novel materials offer significant advantages in spatial resolution and reduced gamma-ray sensitivity.
- They represent a promising advancement for the detection of thick, large-scale objects containing high-Z elements.
