Hydrogen-Rich 2D Halide Perovskite Scintillators for Fast Neutron Radiography

A fast neutron has strong penetration ability through dense and bulky objects, which makes it an ideal nondestructive technology for detecting voids, cracks, or other defects inside large equipment. However, the lack of effective fast neutron detection materials limits its application. Perovskites have shown excellent optical properties in many areas, but they are absent from fast neutron detection imaging because they cannot directly absorb fast neutrons and emit luminescence. Here, we demonstrate a hydrogen-rich long-chain organic amine modified two-dimensional (2D) perovskite fast neutron scintillator, Mn-(C₁₈H₃₇NH₃)₂PbBr₄(Mn-STA₂PbBr₄). Its hydrogen density can reach 9.51 × 10²⁸ m^-3, and the photoluminescence quantum yield can reach 58.58%, so it is possible to integrate fast neutron absorption and luminescence into a single compound. More importantly, Mn-STA₂PbBr₄ can be made into a large-area self-supporting fast neutron scintillator plate with satisfactory spatial resolution (0.5 lp/mm (lp: line pairs)). This strategy provides a simple and promising choice for fast neutron scintillator nondestructive testing.