Quasi‐1D Energy Transfer Enabling Tb2W3O12:Eu3+ Scintillator for Low‐Dose High‐Resolution X‐Ray Imaging

A primary challenge in inorganic scintillators development is maximizing the X-ray energy conversion efficiency. Conventional low-doping strategies in rare-earth systems mitigate concentration quenching but result in inefficient host-to-activator energy transfer, leading to significant energy losses. To overcome this, a novel rare-earth matrix design is proposed: using Tb3+ ions as the host lattice and incorporating energy-matched Eu3+ ions as activators. This design enabled highly efficient energy transfer from the host to the luminescent centers. Experiments confirmed that quasi-1D Tb3+ chains (intra-chain distance: 3.92 Å, inter-chain distance: 5.92 Å) enabled Dexter-type energy transfer (Tb3+: 5D4 → Eu3+: 5D1/5D2), achieving near-unity energy transfer efficiency. The optimized Tb1.8W3O12:0.2Eu3+@PMMA film exhibited an X-ray light yield of 25 000 photons·MeV-1 at 22 keV, a spatial resolution of 14 lp mm-1, and an ultra-low detection limit (14.1 nGyair s-1). High-resolution radiography of biological specimens validated imaging capability at the 0.1 mm scale. This work established a paradigm for designing high-sensitivity scintillators through quasi-1D energy transfer, advancing low-dose X-ray imaging applications in medical diagnostics and industrial inspection.