Visualized X-ray Dosimetry for Multienvironment Applications.
Lan LuSongcheng PengLei ZhaoMeiguang ZhangJianqiang XiaoHongyu WenPeng ZhangAlexey Nikolaevich YakovlevJian-Bei QiuXue YuTing WangXu-Hui XuPublished in: Nano letters (2023)
X-ray dose detection plays a critical role in various scientific fields, including chemistry, materials, and medicine. However, the current materials used for this purpose face challenges in both immediate and delayed radiation detections. Here, we present a visual X-ray dosimetry method for multienvironment applications, utilizing NaLuF 4 nanocrystals (NCs) that undergo a color change from green to red upon X-ray irradiation. By adjustment of the concentrations of Ho 3+ , the emission color of the NCs can be tuned thanks to the cross-relaxation effects. Furthermore, X-ray irradiation induces generation of trapping centers in NaLuF 4 :Ho 3+ NCs, endowing the generation of mechanoluminescence (ML) behavior upon mechanical stimulation after X-ray irradiation ceases. The ML intensity shows a linear correlation with the X-ray dose, facilitating the detection of delayed radiation. This breakthrough facilitates X-ray dose inspection in flaw detection, nuclear medicine, customs, and civil protection, thereby enhancing opportunities for radiation monitoring and control.