Reusable radiochromic semiconductive MOF for dual-mode X-ray detection using color change and electric signal

This work puts forward the idea of dual-mode X-ray detection using color change and electric signal, and provides a MOF (metal–organic framework)-based host–guest strategy to synthesize rewritable radiochromic semiconductive materials, which are promising to avoid the lack of digital processing ability and reusability of commercial radiographic/radiochromic films and the non-portability of commercial electric detectors. • Obtain the first rewritable radiochromic semiconductor via a host–guest strategy. • Realize X-ray detection using color change and electric signal for the first time. • Exhibit color change and electric signal upon irradiation in the REVERSIBLE mode. • Achieve a sensitivity of 3216 µCGy –1 cm −2 , higher than known MOF-based detectors. This work puts forward the idea of dual-mode X-ray detection using color change and electric signal, and provides a MOF (metal–organic framework)-based host–guest strategy to synthesize rewritable radiochromic semiconductive materials, which are promising to avoid the lack of digital processing ability and reusability of commercial radiographic/radiochromic films and the non-portability of commercial electric detectors. The obtained semiconductor with photochromism-active viologen exhibited rapid color change from colorless to blue and photocurrent response upon irradiation of X-ray and was easily bleached after thermal annealing for reuse. As an application example, the inner detail of a printed circuit board was successfully revealed through radiochromic imaging. Meanwhile, a single-crystal detector of the semiconductor achieved a sensitivity of 3216 µCGy –1 cm −2 , which is higher than those of all reported MOF-based detectors and commercial α-Se detectors.