Composite micelle-SiO2 hybrid gels for neutron detection

Micelle-SiO2 hybrid gels were designed and prepared as solid-state neutron-detecting materials based on micelle self-assembly. An organic liquid scintillator was homogeneously co-doped in a neutron absorbing lithiated PEG-silica gel through a micelle system. For this purpose, nonionic and anionic surfactants were used to solubilize the organic scintillator. This blue light emitting (λem=413 at 340 nm excitation) neutron-detecting material with only a 0.1 wt% of a 6Li+-doping showed a great response toward a neutron radiation as demonstrated in comparative investigation by using pulse-height spectra.