| abstract |
Scintillator material comprising nanoparticles (nanocrystals) comprising lead (Pb), iodine (I), and optionally one or both of oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H) wherein the nanoparticles exhibit room-temperature scintillation under gamma irradiation. The scintillator nanoparticles can comprise Pb 3 O 2 I 2 . The scintillator nanoparticles can comprise PbIOH in generally equiatomic proportions or non-equiatomic variants thereof that exhibit scintillation under gamma irradiation. The scintillator nanoparticles have a particle dimension in the range of about 5 to about 100 nm. Microparticles (microcrystals) also are provided comprising lead (Pb), iodine (I), and optionally one or both of oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H) grown in a nanoparticle colloidal solution over time to a particle dimension greater than 0.1 μm, such as about 2 microns. A heterogeneous scintillator material is provided comprising core/shell nanoparticles having a highly hygroscopic or deliquescent halide-based core activated with trivalent Ln 3+ or divalent Ln 2+ lanthanide ions (Ln=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) and a stable non-hygroscopic shell thereon. The heterogeneous nanoparticles can comprise highly hygroscopic lanthanide halide (LaBr 3 , LuI 3 ) cores protected with stable non-hygroscopic LaF 3 shells. The heterogeneous nanoparticles can comprise deliquescent alkaline earth halide (SrI 2 , BaI 2 ) cores protected with stable non-hygroscopic (SrF 2 , BaF 2 ) shells. |