Synthesis, luminescence and scintillation of rare earth doped lanthanum fluoride nanoparticles

Scintillation from nanoparticles is a nascent field but offers valuable fundamental insights and practical utilities. In this work, the scintillation response of LaF3:Eu nanoparticles is reported. Core/multi-shell nanoparticles were prepared using a modified solution precipitation method that takes advantage of the organic ligand ammonium di-n-octadecyldithiophosphate (ADDP) to simultaneously achieve shelling of doped core nanoparticles while avoiding agglomeration. Nanoparticles were characterized on their structure, morphology, luminescence, and scintillation behavior by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence, and radioluminescence (RL) measurements, respectively. Analysis of the scintillation process revealed that the unique aspect of scintillation in nanoparticles when compared to bulk materials is related to the migration of carriers within the nanoparticle. Cladding of the Eu-doped core with an undoped shell was found to increase scintillation intensity by a factor of 3, and further shelling leads to a continuous decrease in RL intensity. Surface passivation, together with the decreasing probability of radiative recombination of carriers at the luminescent centers in the core with increasing number of shells grown around the core are suggested to describe the observed RL intensity behavior. Scintillation enhancement by means of shelling is a promising pathway to enhance the use of scintillator nanoparticles in detection devices.