High energy X-ray radiation sensitive scintillating materials for medical imaging, cancer diagnosis and therapy

X-rays are widely adopted in cancer radiotherapy and clinical diagnosis devices for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and medical radiography. The sole utilization of X-ray irradiation for tumor therapy results in insufficient radiation energy deposition of initial X-ray photon energy owing to the low attenuation coefficient for X-ray in organisms, generating overdose ionizing radiation with great lethality to normal cells. Recent achievements in materials engineering and nanotechnology accelerate the exploiting of X-ray excited scintillating systems. These cancer-site targeting scintillators are able to absorb and convert X-rays into visible light emissions, which relieves the risk of overdose X-ray exposure. In medical imaging, X-ray radiation is ideal for the excitation of scintillating materials in clinical diagnostic and therapeutic applications owing to its extraordinary penetration power in tissues and organs. In this review, we will summarize the corresponding X-ray excited scintillating mechanisms and related material advances in detail to offer an overview of novel scintillating materials for medical imaging and tumor-associated PDT. This review summarizes the recent advanced research progress in X-ray scintillators regarding the material types and emission mechanisms as well as their wide application potential as an important tool for future medical diagnose and therapy. The understanding of these high-energy X-ray scintillators will benefit the further design and application extension. [Display omitted] •High energy X-ray excitation scintillating materials has been summarized regarding the different criteria of applications.•Conventional and novel scintillating systems have been systematically discussed.•The future challenges of new scintillating materials for medical applications has been proposed.