A research team led by Professor Lim Hyeon-sik (director of the Research Department at Dongguk University) of Dongguk University's Department of Physical Semiconductor Science have published the latest results from their research on liquid-type X-ray imaging scintillators using a new mechanism, in "Light: Science & Applications” (Impact Factor: 15, JCR Top 1.5%), a world famous academic journal published by Nature-Springer.

Cho Sang-eun (first author, obtained a Ph.D. from Dongguk University in August 2020 under the supervision of professor Lim Hyeon-sik) and Professors Lim Hyeon-sik and Kim Hyung-sang (corresponding authors) have successfully developed a scintillator technology that can replace existing commercially available materials with organic–inorganic hybrid materials.

Recently, there has been a rapid increase in the necessity and demand for radiation and X-ray devices. Commercially available scintillator materials are in desperate need of independent, original, and domestic technologies, as they have domestic development limitations and high foreign dependence due to difficulties in manufacturing and processing.

In response, the research team at Dongguk University devised a low-cost and high-efficiency radiation scintillator material. They proposed an X-ray emission mechanism based on a novel electron transfer method. It showed excellent results for replacing commercially available scintillators and can widely use low-energy (~keV, for examination) to high-energy (~MeV, for treatment) radiation.

Professor Kim Hyung-sang said, “This technology not only shows high-efficiency characteristics of X-rays and radioactivity but also can be applied in various forms to measure curved images, which is difficult with existing scintillators. I hope that our results can contribute toward the domestic development of scintillators.”

This study was conducted in collaboration with Asan Medical Center and supported by a funding program from the Korea Research Foundation and the Korea Radiation Promotion Association.