KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC), Division of Physical Science and Engineering (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Henan Key Laboratory of Crystalline Molecular Functional Materials, Green Catalysis Center, College of Chemistry, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Tumor Theranostic Cluster Materials, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
J Am Chem Soc. 2023 Jun 28;145(25):13816-13827. doi: 10.1021/jacs.3c02612. Epub 2023 Jun 19.
Zero-dimensional (0D) scintillation materials have drawn tremendous attention due to their inherent advantages in the fabrication of flexible high-energy radiation scintillation screens by solution processes. Although considerable progress has been made in the development of 0D scintillators, such as the current leading lead-halide perovskite nanocrystals and quantum dots, challenges still persist, including potential issues with self-absorption, air stability, and eco-friendliness. Here, we present a strategy to overcome those limitations by synthesis and self-assembly of a new class of scintillators based on metal nanoclusters. We demonstrate the gram-scale synthesis of an atomically precise nanocluster with a Cu-Au alloy core exhibiting high phosphorescence quantum yield, aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) behavior, and intense radioluminescence. By controlling solvent interactions, the AIEE-active nanoclusters were self-assembled into submicron spherical superparticles in solution, which we exploited as a novel building block for flexible particle-deposited scintillation films with high-resolution X-ray imaging performance. This work reveals metal nanoclusters and their self-assembled superstructures as a promising class of scintillators for practical applications in high-energy radiation detection and imaging.
零维（0D）闪烁材料由于其在溶液工艺制备柔性高能辐射闪烁屏方面的固有优势，引起了极大的关注。尽管在开发 0D 闪烁体方面已经取得了相当大的进展，例如目前领先的卤化铅钙钛矿纳米晶体和量子点，但仍存在挑战，包括自吸收、空气稳定性和环保性方面的潜在问题。在这里，我们提出了一种通过合成基于金属纳米团簇的新型闪烁体来克服这些限制的策略。我们展示了一种原子精确的纳米团簇的克级合成，该纳米团簇具有铜-金合金核，表现出高磷光量子产率、聚集诱导发射增强（AIEE）行为和强烈的放射发光。通过控制溶剂相互作用，AIEE 活性纳米团簇在溶液中自组装成亚微米级球形超粒子，我们将其用作具有高分辨率 X 射线成像性能的柔性粒子沉积闪烁膜的新型构建块。这项工作揭示了金属纳米团簇及其自组装超结构作为一类有前途的闪烁体，可用于高能辐射探测和成像的实际应用。
