Ag/Dy-incorporated Alq3 nanocomposite sheets as a promising X-ray dosimeters

Tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) is an organometallic light emitting material used mostly in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and other electronic devices. Despite these applications, no study investigated its response to X-rays particularly Ag/Dy-incorporated Alq3 in the form of nanocomposite sheets. The sheets were fabricated using simple chemical routes, low-cost, and characterized using SEM, XRD, FTIR and PL, respectively. The surface morphology of the Alq3, and Ag/Dy-incorporated sheets reveal uniformly distributed ultrafine nanoparticles within the PMMA polymer. The pre-irradiation PL stability based on temperature exposure variations of both powder and nanocomposites sheets were systematically studied. Later, the sheets were exposed to different doses of X-ray ranging from 10 to 100 Gy. The irradiated sheets showed no considerable changes in crystalline structure and surface morphology. However, the PL emission intensity of the sheets decreases with increasing doses signifying the breakage of C–H bonds, chain scission and rapture in one of the Al–O bonds due to the PL quenching formation. In addition, the sheets showed strong PL signal stability with 1% negligible loss after 15 days of irradiation. Similarly, Alq3 and Alq3/Dy nanocomposite sheets indicated excellent linear response with R2 value of 96% and 97%, respectively. Hence, the recorded linear dose response, thermal stability, and post irradiation PL stability of Alq3 and Alq3/Dy nanocomposite sheets are promising preliminary parameters for radiation dosimetry applications. Therefore, Alq3 and Alq3/Dy nanocomposite sheets are suitable materials for applications in a novel, simple, low-cost, and eco-friendly X-ray dosimeter.