High-Efficiency, Wearable Neutron-Shielding Composites Fabricated via Atomic-Scale Dispersion of Gadolinium into Natural Leather

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The demand for wearable neutron-shielding materials is increasing due to the growing utilization of neutrons in modern science and technology. However, wearable neutron-shielding materials show poor shielding performance due to uneven distribution and large-size neutron absorption elements in the matrix. To address this challenge, a novel atomic-scale-dispersion approach was developed by employing natural leather preinteracted with bayberry tannin (BTNL) as the matrix and gadolinium ion (Gd(III)) as the neutron absorption element, and Gd/BTNL was obtained as a neutron-shielding material. Leveraging the strategic coordination between Gd(III) and the pyrogallols of bayberry tannin, the proposed approach successfully achieved the atomic-scale dispersion of individual Gd(III) within BTNL. This well-dispersed Gd(III) considerably improved the potential for effective neutron interaction with Gd(III), thereby substantially elevated the neutron-shielding efficiency. Simulation-based computational analyses indicated that with atomically dispersed Gd, the shielding efficiency of the composites presented an impressive 556.85% increase compared to that of 36 μm Gd 2 O 3 particles. The experimental results demonstrated that with a thickness of 2 mm, the neutron-shielding efficiency of Gd 1.79 /BTNL reached 99.51%. Furthermore, Gd/BTNL exhibited remarkable mechanical performance, lightweight nature, flexibility, weather resistance, and radiation durability. Herein, this study marks a significant advancement for preparing wearable neutron-shielding materials with outstanding performance.