Thermo- and radioluminescent polystyrene based plastic scintillators doped with phosphorescent iridium( iii ) complexes

In this work, 29 iridium(iii) heteroleptic organometallic complexes based on four cyclometalating and eight ancillary ligands were incorporated in a cross-linked copolymer. The photophysical properties of the complexes in chloroform solution and in the polymer matrix were studied. Preliminary scintillation behaviours of the samples, such as the influence of the iridium complex concentration within the matrix or the relative radioluminescence intensity of each sample are given. The scintillators showed promising scintillation yields (up to 1500 ph MeV super(-1)) without the use of a primary fluorophore. Unexpectedly, one of the prepared scintillators exhibited thermoluminescence.