Resurfaced CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals Enable Free Radical Thermal Polymerization of Efficient Ultrafast Polyvinyl Styrene Nanocomposite Scintillators

TL;DR

This paper introduces thermally stable CsPbBr3 nanocrystals with fluorinated ligands that enable the creation of ultrafast, radiation-resistant polyvinyl styrene nanocomposite scintillators with high light yield and fast response.

Contribution

It presents the first thermal nanocomposite scintillators using CsPbBr3 NCs with fluorinated ligands, overcoming thermal instability for industrial polymerization processes.

Findings

Achieved scintillation light yields of 10,400 photons/MeV

Demonstrated sub-nanosecond scintillation kinetics

Exhibited radiation resilience up to 1 MGy gamma radiation

Abstract

Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (LHP-NCs) embedded in a plastic matrix are highly promising for a variety of photonic technologies and are quickly gaining attention as ultrafast, radiation-resistant nanoscintillators for radiation detection. However, advancements in LHP-NC-based photonics are hindered by their well-known thermal instability, which makes them unsuitable for industrial thermally activated mass polymerization processes - crucial for creating polystyrene-based scintillating nanocomposites. In this study, we address this challenge by presenting the first thermal nanocomposite scintillators made from CsPbBr3 NCs passivated with fluorinated ligands that remain attached to the particles surfaces even at high temperatures, enabling their integration into mass-cured polyvinyl toluene without compromising optical properties. Consequently, these nanocomposites demonstrate scintillation light yields reaching 10,400 photons/MeV, sub-nanosecond scintillation kinetics, and remarkable radiation resilience, able to withstand gamma radiation doses of up to 1 MGy. This performance not only meets but also exceeds the scintillation of plastic scintillators, despite the radiation-induced damage to the host matrix.