Tailoring High-Temperature Co-Precipitation Synthesis of Nanoscintillators for High-Performance Dynamic X-ray Imaging

The development of scintillators that combine strong X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) with minimal afterglow is pivotal for advancing dynamic X-ray imaging applications. Herein, we report a facile strategy for the simultaneous optimization of scintillation properties in NaLuF 4 :Tb/Gd nanoscintillators (NSs) through precise control of co-precipitation temperature. Elevating the reaction temperature from 300°C to 320°C yields a monotonic enhancement in XEOL intensity along with a significant reduction in X-ray excited persistent luminescence (XEPL). This synergistic effect is attributed to temperature-induced improvement in crystallinity and a substantial decrease in the number of charge-trapping defects. The optimized NaLuF 4 :Tb/Gd NSs were fabricated into a flexible composite film, which exhibits excellent stability and enables high-resolution (14.1 lp mm −1 ) dynamic X-ray imaging. This work provides a scalable pathway for optimizing scintillation yield while suppressing afterglow in fluoride NSs.