High temperature and water stable CaF2:Eu2+ glass ceramic for high resolution X-ray detection.

The rising requirement for radiation detection materials for practical applications has inspired to burgeoning investigation of scintillator materials. High performance X-ray detection require high spatial resolution and long-term stability, particularly for targeted objects at extreme conditions. Here, the CaF 2 :Eu2+ glass ceramic (GC), in which the CaF 2 :Eu2+ nanoparticles are wrapped by the glassy matrix, is successfully obtained the melting method. The as-obtained CaF 2 :Eu2+ GC manifests bright blue radioluminescence (RL) emission peaked at 470 nm thanks to the effective 5d-4f transition of Eu2+ ions. In addition, the as-obtained CaF 2 :Eu2+ GC presents high transmittance of 84.2% and visible light, contributing an excellent spatial resolution of 15 lp/mm at room temperature. Importantly, the as-obtained CaF 2 :Eu2+ GC exhibits high robustness at water conditions and high thermal stability with X-ray resolution of 12.1 lp/mm at 473 K. Our work demonstrates that CaF 2 :Eu2+ GC scintillators provide an excellent visualization tool for high-resolution scintillators X-ray images in harsh conditions. • The reduction efficiency of Eu2+ is significantly improved by mixing the reducing agent with glass ceramic raw and sintering. • The CaF 2 :Eu2+ glass ceramic is successfully obtained by melt-quenching method. • Multiple characterization prove that Eu2+, the luminescent center of glass ceramic, is greatly reduced in glass ceramic. • The strategy significantly reduces the light scattering and enhance the stability of the emitting centers. • The CaF 2 :Eu2+ glass ceramic for high resolution X-ray detection in harsh conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]