Energy transfer-based X-ray imaging scintillators

X-ray imaging scintillators are essential for numerous technologies that impact our daily lives, including medical radiography, computed tomography, and security inspection. Organic materials have emerged as potential alternatives for X-ray imaging scintillators due to their low toxicity, high stability, and large-area fabrication. However, their low X-ray absorption cross-section and inefficient exciton utilization efficiency limit their practical applications and commercialization. Nevertheless, these drawbacks can be mitigated through efficient energy transfer from suitable X-ray sensitizers. In this review, we summarize recent progress in fabricating high-performance energy transfer-based scintillators using a variety of X-ray sensitizers and emission centers and provide a detailed interpretation of the corresponding energy transfer mechanisms and their tremendous impact on the operation of X-ray imaging scintillators. Furthermore, we have also carefully considered the impact of various factors within the imaging system, including the X-ray source, light-matter interaction, and photodetector, on the overall imaging performance.