Zero-Dimensional Copper(I) Halide Microcrystals as Highly Efficient Scintillators for Flexible X-ray Imaging

Commercially available rare-earth-doped inorganic oxide materials have been widely applied as X-ray scintillators, but the fragile characteristics, high detection limit, and harsh preparation condition seriously restrict their wide applications. Furthermore, it remains a huge challenge to realize X-ray flexible imaging technology for real-time monitoring of the curving interface of complex devices. To address these issues, we herein report two isostructural cuprous halides of zero-dimensional (0D) [AEPipz]CuX3·X·H2O (AEPipz = N-aminoethylpiperazine, X = Br and I) with controllable size to nanosize crystal as highly efficient scintillators toward flexible X-ray imaging. These cuprous halides exhibit highly efficient cyan photoluminescence and radioluminescence emissions with the highest quantum yield of 92.1% and light yield of 62,400 photons MeV–1, respectively, surpassing most of the commercially available inorganic scintillators. Meanwhile, the ultralow detection limit of 95.7 nGyair s–1 was far below the X-ray dose required for diagnosis (5.5 μGyair s–1). More significantly, the flexible film is facilely assembled with excellent foldability and high crack resistance, which further acts as a scintillation screen achieving a high spatial resolution of 17.4 lp mm–1 in X-ray imaging, demonstrating the potential application in wearable radiation radiography. The combined advantages of high light yield, low detection limit, and excellent flexibility promote these 0D cuprous halides as the most promising X-ray scintillators.