The University of New Mexico

Krishnaprasad Sankar

Marek A Osinski

Gennady A Smolyakov

Nathan J Withers

Brian A Akins

A heterogeneous scintillator material is provided comprising core/shell nanoparticles having a highly hygroscopic or deliquescent halide-based core activated with trivalent Lnor divalent Lnlanthanide 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, LuI) cores protected with stable non-hygroscopic LaFshells. The heterogeneous nanoparticles can comprise deliquescent alkaline earth halide (SrI, BaI) cores protected with stable non-hygroscopic (SrF, BaF) shells.

Halide-based scintillator nanomaterial

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 PbOI. 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 &#x3bc;m, 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 Lnor divalent Lnlanthanide 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, LuI) cores protected with stable non-hygroscopic LaFshells. The heterogeneous nanoparticles can comprise deliquescent alkaline earth halide (SrI, BaI) cores protected with stable non-hygroscopic (SrF, BaF) shells.

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Krishnaprasad Sankar