Nanocrystal-based scintillators for radiation detection

Several metal chalcogenides (e.g., ZnS, CdSe/ZnS) are known to be highly efficient scintillators. Concerns related to the use of these commercially available inorganic compounds (particle size: μm) include their low solubilities in organic and polymeric matrices. Their preparation in inorganic matrices, such as sol-gels, results in non-transparent gels, thus lowering their efficiency as scintillating devices. By reducing their particle sizes from commonly used micrometer- into nanometer-size regimes, their optical properties and solubilities in both polar and nonpolar solvents can be controlled. The combination of sol-gel technique and the chemistry of inorganic nanocrystalline quantum dots will be demonstrated as a powerful method in preparing scintillating devices