Kilogram-Scale Crystallogenesis of Halide Perovskites for Gamma-Rays Dose Rate Measurements.

ABSTRACT: Gamma-rays (?-rays), wherever present, e.g., in medicine, nuclear environment, or homeland security, due to their strong impact on biological matter, should be closely monitored. There is a need for simple, sensitive ?-ray detectors at affordable prices. Here, it is shown that ?-ray detectors based on crystals of methylammonium lead tribromide (MAPbBr₃) ideally meet these requirements. Specifically, the ?-rays incident on a MAPbBr₃ crystal generates photocarriers with a high mobility-lifetime product, allowing radiation detection by photocurrent measurements at room temperatures. Moreover, the MAPbBr₃ crystal-based detectors, equipped with improved carbon electrodes, can operate at low bias (?1.0 V), hence being suitable for applications in energy-sparse environments, including space. The ?-ray detectors reported herein are exposed to radiation from a ⁶⁰Co source at dose rates up to 2.3 Gy h^-1 under ambient conditions for over 100 h, without any sign of degradation. The excellent radiation tolerance stems from the intrinsic structural plasticity of the organic-inorganic halide perovskites, which can be attributed to a defect-healing process by fast ion migration at the nanoscale level. The sensitivity of the ?-ray detection upon volume is tested for MAPbBr₃ crystals reaching up to 1000 cm³ (3.3 kg in weight) grown by a unique crystal growth technique.

SUBMITTER: Andricevic P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7816716 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature