Developing efficient scintillators is crucial for advancing radiation detection. Glass ceramics (GCs) offer promise by combining processability with enhanced luminescence, but crystallizing phases with optimal scintillation properties remain challenging. Herein, a kinetics-controlled in situ crystallization strategy is presented to selectively precipitate high-performance Ba2SiO4:Eu2+ crystals within a barium silicate glass. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal crystal-like topological configurations in the glass that facilitate Ba2SiO4 nucleation. Remarkably, the resulting GC exhibits outstanding X-ray scintillation: a high light yield of 8053 photons MeV-1 (comparable to commercial Bi4Ge3O12), an ultra-low detectable X-ray dose rate of 115.6 nGy s-1, and enables high-spatial-resolution imaging (7 lp mm-1). This performance stems from the efficient green emission (PLQY = 61.89%) of Eu2+within the confined crystalline environment and the material's excellent radiation attenuation. This work demonstrates how precise crystallization control unlocks high-performance GC scintillators for demanding radiation detection applications.
Huang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.