Type-I Heterostructure CdZnS/ZnS Core/Shell Quantum Dots Scintillators for Stable, High-Resolution, and Real-Time...

Real-time X-ray imaging plays a critical role in medical diagnostics (e.g., cardiovascular and pulmonary monitoring), nondestructive evaluation, and in situ investigations of dynamic material processes. However, commonly used scintillators in medical imaging, CsI(Tl), suffer from an intrinsically long decay time (> 100 ms), which severely limits their suitability for high-temporal-resolution dynamic imaging. Herein, this study systematically employs surface defect passivation and carrier non-radiative recombination suppression strategies to successfully construct Cd_0.27Zn_0.73S/7 ML-ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) with a type-I band alignment. Such QDs exhibit ultrahigh photoluminescence quantum yield of over 96%, ultrafast carrier recombination dynamics with a decay time of 1.15 ns, and outstanding chemical stability. By innovatively applying anodic aluminum oxide templates to induce nano-confinement effects, ordered assembly and directional emission control of the QDs are achieved within nanopore arrays, achieving a spatial resolution of up to 12.04 lp mm^-1. Leveraging this engineered scintillation platform, a high-performance real-time X-ray imaging system with a frame rate of 60 fps (2 K resolution) is further developed. Compared to traditional computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging technologies, this system achieves significant improvement in temporal resolution, enabling effective capture of dynamic information from transient physiological processes.