We report the preparation of flexible scintillation films based on Ag6N6S12C54H48 (Ag-R-4PTT) clusters formed by in-situ crystallization within a polymer matrix. The Ag-R-4PTT clusters exhibit thermally activated delayed fluorescence with a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 93.1%. Controlled crystallization yields microcrystalline clusters in poly(vinylpyrrolidone)/thermoplastic polyurethane matrices with excellent radioluminescence performance and high structural stability, leading to a light yield of 33 400 photons MeV-1 and an X-ray detection limit down to 231 nGyair s-1. The scintillation films retain high mechanical flexibility, optical transmittance, and water-resistance, achieving a spatial resolution of 21 lp mm-1 for X-ray imaging. This study introduces a general strategy to stabilize Ag clusters via coordination engineering as well as in-situ crystallization, offering a promising platform for flexible radiation detection and high-resolution imaging.
Tang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.