journal article·2025-09Open access

Organic Crystals with Methyl Lock Effect for High‐Efficiency X‐Ray Scintillation and Advanced Anti‐Counterfeiting

Mingxi Chen, Cong Wang, Hongyun Wang, Zhongzhu Hong, Jing Wu, Dongzhi Chi, Huanghao Yang, Yajing Sun, Wenping Hu

Small· Volume 21· Issue 36

Abstract

Abstract Organic crystal scintillators that convert X‐rays to visible photons have broad application prospects in medical radiography and security screening as sustainable materials. Although molecules with high photoluminescence properties under UV excitation are usually transplanted as scintillators for X‐ray detection, the development of scintillant materials is still far behind that of photoluminescent counterparts. Here, a hypothesis is proposed that chemical bond inversion induced by high‐energy radiation is a key factor responsible for the suppression of scintillation in organic materials. A “methyl lock” strategy is presented to limit this inversion and successfully liberate its radioluminescence ability. As a result, 1,4‐bis(2‐methylstyryl)benzene (bis‐MSB) crystals with “methyl lock” exhibit an 8.9‐fold increase in relative light output compared to 1,4‐distyrylbenzene (DSB) without “methyl lock,” achieving a remarkably low minimum detectable dose rate of 14.9 nGy s −1 . The detector, based on bis‐MSB crystal scintillators, offers exceptional resolution (50 lp mm −1 ), enabling precise X‐ray imaging and computed tomography scanning. The distinct photo‐ and radio‐luminescence behaviors of bis‐MSB and DSB molecules make them promising materials for applications in information security and smart, multi‐level anti‐counterfeiting measures.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies · Medical Imaging Techniques and Applications · Luminescence Properties of Advanced Materials

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits Ministry of Education and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences Department of Chemistry School of Science Tianjin University Tianjin 300072 P. R. China

Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR) 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis #08‐03 Singapore 138634 Singapore

Innovative Center for Flexible Devices (iFLEX) Max Planck – NTU Joint Lab for Artificial Senses School of Materials Science and Engineering Nanyang Technological University 50 Nanyang Avenue Singapore 639798 Singapore

Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) Tianjin 300072 P. R. China

New Cornerstone Science Laboratory MOE Key Laboratory for Analytical Science of Food Safety and Biology College of Chemistry Fuzhou University Fuzhou 350002 P. R. China

Fujian Science and Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China Fuzhou 350108 P. R. China

School of Electronic Science & Engineering Southeast University Nanjing 211189 China

Funding

National Supercomputing Center of Tianjin · National Research Foundation Singapore · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China

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