Direct Radiation Detection by a Semiconductive Metal-Organic Framework

Semiconductive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted extraordinary research interest in recent years; however, electronic applications based on these emerging materials are still in their infancy. Herein, we show that a lanthanide-based semiconductive MOF (SCU-12) can effectively convert X-ray photons to electrical current signals under continuous hard X-ray radiation. The semiconductive MOF-based polycrystalline detection device presents a promising X-ray sensitivity with the value of 23.8 mu C Gy(air)(-1) cm(-2) under 80 kV(p) X-ray exposure, competitive with the commercially available amorphous selenium (alpha-Se) detector. The lowest detectable X-ray dose rate is 0.705 mu Gy s(-1), representing the record value among all X-ray detectors fabricated by polycrystalline materials. This work discloses the first demonstration of hard radiation detection by semi conductive MOFs, providing a horizon that can guide the synthesis of a new generation of radiation detection materials by taking the advantages of structural designability and property tunability in the MOF system.