Efficient and Robust Europium(III)-Based Hybrid Lanthanide Scintillators for Advanced X-Ray Imaging

Abstract

Scintillators that convert ionizing radiation into low-energy photons are essential for medical diagnostics and industrial inspections. Despite advances in X-ray scintillators, challenges remain in achieving high efficiency, environmental compatibility, stability, and flexibility. Here, we present experimental investigations of a new type of europium(III)-based hybrid ternary complex scintillators for improved X-ray detection and imaging. Benefiting from the synergistic interaction between dual organic ligands and lanthanide ions, the Eu(TTA)₃Phen complex demonstrates exceptional radioluminescence and light yield under X-ray excitation, with a detection limit of 19.97 nGy s⁻¹, well below typical radiation doses used in medical diagnostics. Moreover, lanthanide complex Eu(TTA)₃Phen exhibited excellent thermal and photostability, showing minimal degradation even after extended X-ray exposure. By integrating with flexible polymer matrices, a high-transmission Eu(TTA)₃Phen-PMMA composite film was fabricated for X-ray radiography, demonstrating high spatial resolution (<10 um) and superior image quality across various target samples. These findings hold substantial promise for next-generation X-ray imaging applications, offering high sensitivity, stability, flexibility, and versatility, making them ideally suited for advanced radiographic systems.