Laminated antimonene as an alternative and efficient shielding strategy against X-ray radiation

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Scientific research concerning lead (Pb)-free shielding materials and their composites showed great promise in shielding ionising radiation (e.g., X-ray, gamma-ray) applied in medical diagnosis, security screening, space and nuclear industry. However, the typical “blend and mix” composites with imperfect composition due to random particle distribution, morphology, low density, and unwanted micro-crack in an inappropriate matrix could result in poor X-ray attenuation. To address these limitations, we demonstrate a unique laminated architecture using few-layered antimonene (SbFL) to increase the chances of interaction between ionising radiation and shielding materials. The proposed lamination is a sandwiched structure (PDMS-SbFL-PDMS) having an identical composition to a conventional form of composite (PDMS/SbFL). The experiments were carried out within X-ray energy ranging between ∼14 and 35 keV (equivalent tube voltage of 30 to 100 kVp), which was further numerically investigated with an extended energy range up to 100 keV. The PDMS-laminated SbFL with a cotton carrier exhibited an attenuation enhancement of 45% and ∼3 times reduced half-value layers (HVL) at high energy (e.g., ∼35 keV) X-ray compared to the conventional PDMS/SbFL composite (13.5 wt% of SbFL). Using high-density SbFL nanoflakes in a sandwiched structure demonstrated significant potential to overcome practical challenges (e.g., aggregation, particle distribution, interparticle gaps, cracks) of composites typically employed for shielding ionising radiation.