Molecularly Engineered Spherical Hybrid Glass Scintillator Enables Portable Omnidirectional X-Ray Detection With High Sensitivity.

Abstract

Omnidirectional X-ray detection is important for applications such as high-energy astrophysics and environmental safety monitoring. However, conventional approaches to omnidirectional X-ray detection, based on solid-state flat-panel detectors or gas/liquid-state spherical detectors, are often hindered by fabrication complexity, insufficient omnidirectional response, or limited portability. Herein, we present a portable solid-state omnidirectional X-ray detector (ODXD) based on a spherical glass scintillator composed of (CPTP)₂MnBr₄ (CPTP = cyclopropyltriphenylphosphine). From a crystallographic perspective, the cyclopropyl group in triphenylphosphine cation plays a critical role in modulating the phase transition of (CPTP)₂MnBr₄. This molecular design not only lowers melting temperature (170°C), enabling device fabrication via a low-temperature melt-quenching process, but also provides a sufficiently high glass transition temperature (61°C) to ensure operational stability. From a device perspective, the ODXD based on spherical (CPTP)₂MnBr₄ glass offers excellent omnidirectionality and registers an X-ray response limit of 0.49 µGy_air s^-1, which is 11-fold lower than the regular medical diagnostic dose rate (5.5 µGy_air s^-1), demonstrating exceptional capabilities for monitoring omnidirectional X-ray sources with high sensitivity. Given the high processability of organic-inorganic glasses and the simplicity of their fabrication, our findings provide a viable solution for constructing portable omnidirectional optical detectors toward advanced sensing and photonic applications.