High-Brightness Colloidal Cu4I4-Based Microcrystal Scintillators for High-Resolution Rotational Dynamic X-ray Imaging and 3D Reconstruction

Copper(I) iodide cluster-derived complexes show great promise for static X-ray imaging but face key challenges in dynamic X-ray imaging, due to difficulties in fabricating scintillator films that combine high brightness, low light scattering, and mechanical flexibility. Herein, electron-rich ligands are introduced to regulate the excited-state behavior and minimize nonradiative transitions in Cu4I4 cluster-derived complexes. Under poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) micelle confinement, colloidal Cu4I4 cluster-derived microcrystals with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 92.4% and a steady-state X-ray relative light yield four times than that of Bi4Ge3O12 were synthesized. By synergistic integration of ligand regulation, PVP micelle confinement, and precise control of microelectronic printing, uniform scintillator films enabling high-resolution X-ray imaging (exceeding 20 lp mm–1) were achieved. These films exhibit outstanding performance in real-time dynamic X-ray imaging and 3D reconstruction of nonplanar objects, representing a significant advancement beyond conventional 2D X-ray imaging toward 3D panoramic and tomographic applications.