TY - JOUR
T1 - Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Hybrid Copper(I) Iodide Scintillator for Fast Neutron and X-ray Imaging
AU - Hu, Qingsong
AU - Bao, Zizhen
AU - Elsayed, Hadeer
AU - Wang, Jian Xin
AU - Liu, Linyue
AU - Xiao, Jiawen
AU - Niu, Guangda
AU - Wu, Wentao
AU - He, Tengyue
AU - Faleiros, Murilo C.
AU - Hasanov, Bashir E.
AU - Jiang, Yan
AU - Zhang, Chengkai
AU - Sun, Di
AU - Bakr, Osman M.
AU - Mohammed, Omar F.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.
PY - 2026/5/6
Y1 - 2026/5/6
N2 - Developing high-performance dual imaging applications, such as fast neutron and X-ray applications, using a single material presents a very significant challenge across chemistry, material science, physics, and engineering. Integrating both imaging capabilities into a single material for specialized detection applications will simplify device design and significantly reduce overall detection costs. This work represents the first demonstration of a lead-free system designed for high-performance dual imaging applications. It features a multifunctional hybrid copper(I) iodide scintillator, in which hydrogen-rich and luminescent units are synergistically coupled at the molecular level, enabling the simultaneous imaging of fast neutrons and X-rays. The perfect synergy of exciton confinement and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) effects empowers this material with exceptional dual imaging capabilities. The confined structure formed by heavy-atom modules at the core imparts a high exciton binding energy, suppressing the nonradiative recombination of excitons. The TADF mechanism channels phonons generated by high-energy radiation into the radiative recombination process. Additionally, the lack of self-absorption guarantees efficient photon utilization. Leveraging these properties, the material achieves an impressive X-ray light yield of approximately 42,000 photons/MeV and an exceptional spatial resolution of 25.8 lp/mm for X-ray imaging, surpassing most commercial scintillators available in the X-ray market. Furthermore, the material demonstrates an outstanding spatial resolution of 1.47 lp/mm in fast neutron imaging, representing the best level reported to date for a Pb-free scintillator. This environmentally friendly and high-performance multifunctional scintillator significantly advances next-generation scintillation materials, presenting exciting opportunities for high-precision and dual imaging applications at a low cost.
AB - Developing high-performance dual imaging applications, such as fast neutron and X-ray applications, using a single material presents a very significant challenge across chemistry, material science, physics, and engineering. Integrating both imaging capabilities into a single material for specialized detection applications will simplify device design and significantly reduce overall detection costs. This work represents the first demonstration of a lead-free system designed for high-performance dual imaging applications. It features a multifunctional hybrid copper(I) iodide scintillator, in which hydrogen-rich and luminescent units are synergistically coupled at the molecular level, enabling the simultaneous imaging of fast neutrons and X-rays. The perfect synergy of exciton confinement and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) effects empowers this material with exceptional dual imaging capabilities. The confined structure formed by heavy-atom modules at the core imparts a high exciton binding energy, suppressing the nonradiative recombination of excitons. The TADF mechanism channels phonons generated by high-energy radiation into the radiative recombination process. Additionally, the lack of self-absorption guarantees efficient photon utilization. Leveraging these properties, the material achieves an impressive X-ray light yield of approximately 42,000 photons/MeV and an exceptional spatial resolution of 25.8 lp/mm for X-ray imaging, surpassing most commercial scintillators available in the X-ray market. Furthermore, the material demonstrates an outstanding spatial resolution of 1.47 lp/mm in fast neutron imaging, representing the best level reported to date for a Pb-free scintillator. This environmentally friendly and high-performance multifunctional scintillator significantly advances next-generation scintillation materials, presenting exciting opportunities for high-precision and dual imaging applications at a low cost.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105037963611
U2 - 10.1021/jacs.6c03617
DO - 10.1021/jacs.6c03617
M3 - Article
C2 - 42012816
AN - SCOPUS:105037963611
SN - 0002-7863
VL - 148
SP - 18313
EP - 18321
JO - Journal of the American Chemical Society
JF - Journal of the American Chemical Society
IS - 17
ER -