All-Inorganic Quantum Dot in Perovskite PbS-CsPbBr₃ for High Energy Radiation Scintillation

Efficient and stable scintillators are crucial for medical imaging, high energy physics, security, and other fields. However, current scintillators are typically produced as single crystals in energy intensive, high-cost processes. Recently, inorganic-organic quantum-dot-in-lead halide perovskites compatible with scalable, low-cost, and large area manufacturing have been synthesized to address these shortcomings. Still, organic components result in lower stability of 3D lead halide perovskites compared to their all-inorganic counterparts. Here, we synthesize all-inorganic PbS quantum dot in CsPbBr₃ perovskites at the gram scale and demonstrate their utility as an ionizing radiation scintillator. Emissions under X-ray excitation span from 1400 nm to 1000 nm depending on the PbS quantum dot size. This material retains luminescent activity after exposure to ambient conditions at least 3 times longer than the PbS quantum dots in hybrid methylammonium lead bromide perovskites. Finally, this material was successfully pressed into bulk, polycrystalline pellets that may be used as individual pixels for high energy radiation detection devices.