Formamidinium Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocomposite Scintillators

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Radiation Detection

Background:

• Conventional scintillators face limitations like fixed emission wavelengths, high costs, and poor X-ray stopping power.
• Plastic scintillators are fast and affordable but possess low atomic numbers, hindering their X-ray attenuation.
• Formamidinium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals offer high X-ray attenuation and bright luminescence, presenting a promising alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize tunable, room-temperature processed mixed-halide perovskite nanocrystals for scintillator applications.
• To fabricate and characterize perovskite-based nanocomposite scintillators for improved performance.
• To evaluate the potential of these nanocomposites for low-cost X-ray imaging.

Main Methods:

• Solution-growth method at room temperature to produce mixed-halide FAPbX3 (X = Cl, Br) perovskite nanocrystals.
• Tuning emission wavelengths (403-531 nm) by adjusting the halide ratio (Cl/Br).
• Incorporation of FAPbBr3 nanocrystals into PVT-based plastic scintillator matrices and PMMA for nanocomposite fabrication, including surface modification.

Main Results:

• Achieved tunable violet to green emission with varying halide ratios and observed faster lifetimes with increased chlorine content.
• Demonstrated brighter luminescence in perovskite/PVT nanocomposites compared to PVT alone.
• Developed surface-modified composites with improved optical transmission and PMMA-encapsulated composites showing 3.8x higher luminescence intensity but slower decay times.

Conclusions:

• Mixed-halide formamidinium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals can be synthesized at room temperature with tunable optical properties.
• Perovskite/plastic nanocomposite scintillators exhibit enhanced luminescence and potential for X-ray imaging.
• Surface modification and encapsulation strategies can further optimize nanocomposite performance for specific applications.