Increasing X-ray to visible transduction performance of Gd2O3:Eu3+PVDF composites by PPO/POPOP addition

Polymer based scintillator composites have been produced by combining poly(vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and Gd2O3:Eu3+ scintillator nanoparticles. Additionally 2,5 dipheniloxazol (PPO) and (1,4-bis (2-(5-phenioxazolil))-benzol (POPOP) were introduced in the polymer matrix in order to improve visible light yield under x-ray irradiation. It is shown that addition of PPO and POPOP has no influence on the polymer structure, increases dielectric constant from ~7 to ~14, which is suitable for improving energy resolution, and increases in 40% the overall transduction performance of the composite without sacrificing its homogeneity and transparency. Thus, the developed Gd2O3:Eu3+/PPO/POPOP/PVDF composites are appropriate for large area X-ray radiation detectors.This work was supported by FEDER through the COMPETE Program and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), project PTDC/CTM-NAN/121038/2010. J. Oliveira, P. M. Martins, P. Martins and V. Correia thanks the FCT for grants SFRH/BD/98219/2013, SFRH/BD/98616/2013, SFRH/BPD/96227/2013 and SFRH/BPD/97739/2013 respectively. The authors thank financial support from the Basque Government Industry Department under the ELKARTEK Program. SLM thanks the Diputación de Bizkaia for financial support under the Bizkaia Talent program