Quantitative Investigation of the Energy Transfer Efficiency in Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Scintillation Materials

Abstract

We analyzed the energy transfer efficiency from the polystyrene (PS) host to a fluorescent molecule, 2-(4-tert butylphenyl)-5-(4-phenylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (b-PBD), in PS-b-PBD binary and PS-borosilicate-b-PBD ternary scintillation materials. The Förster radius was estimated on the basis of the absorption and emission spectra of b-PBD and PS, respectively. In addition, the energy transfer efficiency was analyzed using a phenomenological model and the emission intensity from the PS host. Consistent results were obtained by these two approaches. The analysis of the energy transfer process, in combination with the analysis of concentration quenching, leads to an estimation of the optimum b-PBD concentration. The estimated concentration was in good agreement with the actual optimum concentration confirmed by measuring radioluminescence spectra. These results indicate that the analysis of the energy transfer process described in this paper is an effective way to estimate the optimum fluor concentration even for ternary scintillation materials with nanoscale structures.

X-ray detection properties of plastic scintillators containing surface-modified Bi2O3nanoparticles

“…The quantity of b-PBD was determined according to our previous analysis of energy transfer. 30) The Bi 2 O 3 nanoparticles were added in quantities of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt % to the polystyrene. Finally, the sample scintillator was obtained after solvent evaporation.…”