MOE Key Laboratory for Analytical Science of Food Safety and Biology and State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China.
Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Nature. 2021 Feb;590(7846):410-415. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03251-6. Epub 2021 Feb 17.
Current X-ray imaging technologies involving flat-panel detectors have difficulty in imaging three-dimensional objects because fabrication of large-area, flexible, silicon-based photodetectors on highly curved surfaces remains a challenge. Here we demonstrate ultralong-lived X-ray trapping for flat-panel-free, high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging using a series of solution-processable, lanthanide-doped nanoscintillators. Corroborated by quantum mechanical simulations of defect formation and electronic structures, our experimental characterizations reveal that slow hopping of trapped electrons due to radiation-triggered anionic migration in host lattices can induce more than 30 days of persistent radioluminescence. We further demonstrate X-ray luminescence extension imaging with resolution greater than 20 line pairs per millimetre and optical memory longer than 15 days. These findings provide insight into mechanisms underlying X-ray energy conversion through enduring electron trapping and offer a paradigm to motivate future research in wearable X-ray detectors for patient-centred radiography and mammography, imaging-guided therapeutics, high-energy physics and deep learning in radiology.
目前涉及平板探测器的 X 射线成像技术在对三维物体成像方面存在困难，因为在高度弯曲的表面上制造大面积、柔性、基于硅的光电探测器仍然是一个挑战。在这里，我们展示了使用一系列可溶液处理的镧系掺杂纳米闪烁体实现无平板、高分辨率、三维成像的超长寿命 X 射线俘获。通过对缺陷形成和电子结构的量子力学模拟的证实，我们的实验特性表明，由于辐射引发的基质晶格中的阴离子迁移导致的俘获电子的缓慢跳跃，可以诱导超过 30 天的持续发光。我们进一步展示了分辨率大于 20 线对/毫米、光学记忆大于 15 天的 X 射线发光扩展成像。这些发现为通过持久的电子俘获进行 X 射线能量转换的机制提供了深入的了解，并为未来用于以患者为中心的射线照相和乳房 X 光检查、成像引导治疗、高能物理和放射学深度学习的可穿戴 X 射线探测器的研究提供了动力。
