Single activator doped fluoride nanoparticles for X-ray excited high-resolution and delayed flexible nonplanar imaging

Abstract

Lanthanide doped fluoride nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit adjustable X-ray excited optical/persistent luminescence (XEOL/XEPL) and possessing extensive potential in XEPL-based delay imaging. However, the high-resolution and delayed XEPL-based delay imaging always requires strict introduction of sensitized or heterovalent ions and the construction of complex structures for excellent XEPL performance of lanthanide-doped fluoride NPs, which is attributed to a lack of effective and convenient strategies. Here we show that the intense XEPL strength was obtained by single Tb3+ activated ion doping and simple CsY2F7@NaYF4 core/shell structure for X-ray excited high-resolution and delayed flexible nonplanar imaging. The strict introduction and control of sensitized or heterovalent ions, and the construction of intricate multilayer nanostructure are avoided. In addition, we enable the NPs to achieve high and long-term XEPL performance by simply thermal processing strategy. We successfully mixed minimized amount of the NPs into flexible film to create a scintillation screen which consequently exhibit high surface smoothness, environmental stability, and transparency. Our results demonstrate high resolution delayed imaging of the NPs integrated flexible film for the interior of nonplanar objects. The spatial resolution of 14.3 lp mm−1 is substantially higher than the typical spatial resolutions required for medical CT scans (2 lp mm−1) and X-ray imaging (3.5 lp mm−1). These findings will promote the development of advanced delayed X-ray nonplanar imaging applications.