Na3FWO4- a Member of a New Scintillator Materials Family (MO4)FAnBm with M=B, Al, Si, P, S, Cr, V, Nb, Ta, Zr, H

Reference #: 00883

The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for this technology

Potential Applications:

This invention should be useful in lighting and optical host lattices.

Advantages and Benefits:

• Alternative technique for medical imaging
• Flexible system due to substitution of elements other than tungsten
• Exquisite control of PL properties is within reach due to the chemical diversity of available MO4n- that can be accommodated in these materials

Invention Description:

Scintillator materials are used to detect γ-rays, x-rays, neutrons and electrons in research and medical imaging devices. Furthermore, high-energy and nuclear physics rely on scintillation to detect weakly interacting particles and energies such as dark matter and dark energy. Dr. Vogt’s research illustrates that Na3FWO4 is a composition of matter that can be used as a scintillation material in medical imaging, specifically for the detection of particles and energies including, γ-rays, x-rays, neutrons, neutrinos and weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPS). Na3FWO4 is part of an even larger family of ordered oxyfluorides (MO4) FAnBm, where M = B, A1, Si, P, S, Cr, V, Nb, Ta, Zr, or H, and where A and B are alkali and/or alkali earth metals.

Dr. Vogt is investigating and optimizing the direct synthesis of Na3FWO4 by reacting Na2(WO4) 2H20 with NaF under Argon and at elevated temperatures. The structure is best described as an anti-perovskite structure (WO4)FNa3, where the F- ions are in the center of an FNa6 octahedron and face-sharing FNa6 octahedra columns are stacked in a hexagonal closest packing parallel to the a-axis. The isolated WO42- tetrahedra occupy the pores between them, and there are two distinct Na cation sites. These WO4 tetrahedra are important structural units that are necessary for scintillation and photoluminescence. The tungsten in these MO4n- units can be partially substituted with Mo, In, Cr, Ge, Ga and Al. With the chemical diversity of available MO4n- tetrahedrons that can be accommodated in these materials, an exquisite control of PL properties is within reach.