Lead-free metal halides for a stable, flexible, and high-performance X-ray detector

Abstract

Metal halides exhibit exceptional optoelectronic properties, making them highly promising candidates for advanced X-ray detection applications. However, most advanced metal halide X-ray detectors contain lead, and the toxicity of lead presents a significant challenge to environmentally friendly devices. Hence, the replacement of lead with non-toxic elements is essential to ensure environmental safety and sustainability. In this study, we have developed an X-ray detector based on the lead-free metal halides CsBi₃I₁₀. It has a low detection limit of 0.22 μGy_air s⁻¹ and a sensitivity of 1622.53 μC Gy_air⁻¹ cm⁻². The detector exhibits excellent operational stability in an environment of 60 °C and prolonged exposure to elevated radiation doses. In addition, using a transparent PET substrate, a flexible X-ray detector was produced, which can also operate stably for extended periods. The outcomes demonstrate that CsBi₃I₁₀ devices exhibit efficient performance in X-ray detection applications.