New X-ray detection technology developed

Date:
August 31, 2020
Source:
Florida State University
Summary:
Researchers have developed a new material that could be used to make
flexible X-ray detectors that are less harmful to the environment
and cost less than existing technologies.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Florida State University researchers have developed a new material that
could be used to make flexible X-ray detectors that are less harmful to
the environment and cost less than existing technologies.


==========================================================================
The team led by Biwu Ma, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, created X-ray scintillators that use an environmentally
friendly material. Their research was published in the journal Nature Communications .

"Developing low-cost scintillation materials that can be easily
manufactured and that perform well remains a great challenge," Ma
said. "This work paves the way for exploring new approaches to create
these important devices." Biwu Ma, professor in the Department of
Chemistry and Biochemistry X-ray scintillators convert the radiation
of an X-ray into visible light, and they are a common type of X-ray
detector. When you visit the dentist or the airport, scintillators are
used to take images of your teeth or scan your luggage.

Various materials have been used to make X-ray scintillators, but they
can be difficult or expensive to manufacture. Some recent developments use compounds that include lead, but the toxicity of lead could be a concern.

Ma's team found a different solution. They used the compound organic
manganese halide to create scintillators that don't use lead or heavy
metals. The compound can be used to make a powder that performs very
well for imaging and can be combined with a polymer to create a flexible composite that can be used as a scintillator. That flexibility broadens
the potential use of this technology.

"Researchers have made scintillators with a variety of compounds, but this technology offers something that combines low cost with high performance
and environmentally friendly materials," Ma said. "When you also consider
the ability to make flexible scintillators, it's a promising avenue
to explore." Ma recently received a GAP Commercialization Investment
Program grant from the FSU Office of the Vice President for Research
to develop this technology. The grants help faculty members turn their
research into possible commercial products.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Florida_State_University. Original
written by Bill Wellock. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Liang-Jin Xu, Xinsong Lin, Qingquan He, Michael Worku, Biwu
Ma. Highly
efficient eco-friendly X-ray scintillators based on an organic
manganese halide. Nature Communications, 2020; 11 (1) DOI:
10.1038/s41467-020- 18119-y ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200831154359.htm

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