Molecular‐Level Dispersion of a Fully Organically‐Encapsulated Europium Complex in Polymer for High‐Resolution Flexible X‐Ray Imaging

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Authors: Hong‐Liang Dai, Duo‐Fu Li, C Chen, Hai‐Bing Zhao, Dongsheng Liu, Qing‐Feng Peng, Shu‐Han Lin, Jiawei Chen, Zijie Zhang, Tao Xu, Yan Sui
Cited by: 2
References: 41

Abstract

ABSTRACT Flexible scintillation films are pivotal for next‐generation X‐ray imaging, yet it remains challenging to simultaneously achieve high transparency, excellent sensitivity, and high spatial resolution. Herein, a fully organically‐encapsulated europium(III) complex, Eu(TTA) 4 (TBA) (TTA = 2‐thenoyltrifluoroacetone, TBA = tetrabutyl ammonium), is introduced, which shows intense red emission with a photoluminescence quantum yield of 73.14%, an ultralow detection limit of 15.2 nGy s − 1 , and a light yield of 8174 photons MeV − 1 . A precursor solution strategy is developed to realize molecular‐level dispersion of the complex in polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), producing large‐area, aggregation‐free flexible films with high transmittance (>88%, 470–750 nm). The resulting scintillator achieves a spatial resolution of 22.1 lp mm − 1 in X‐ray imaging, outperforming most reported conventional and emerging scintillators, while also exhibiting remarkable mechanical flexibility and radiation stability. This work establishes a scalable material paradigm based on molecular dispersion for high‐performance flexible scintillators, offering promising potential in wearable medical imaging, non‐destructive testing, and high‐resolution radiography.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Lanthanide and Transition Metal Complexes Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies Luminescence Properties of Advanced Materials

Publication details

Journal / source
Advanced Optical Materials
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
14
Issue
9
Publication date
5 February 2026
Language
EN