Scintillation Material Based on SiO2 Aerogel Containing Highly Dispersed Bi4Ge3O12

The possibility to prepare transparent scintillation composite materials based on SiO 2 aerogels with Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 filler has been shown for the first time. Effect of gelation catalysts (HF and ammonium hydroxide), solvents (methanol, isopropanol, acetone, methyl cellosolve, and methyl lactate), and supercritical drying conditions (CO 2 , alcohols) on transparency and textural properties of SiO 2 aerogels has been studied. A procedure for Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 dispersing in transparent aerogels based on SiO 2 has been developed and composite materials containing Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 of different morphology have been synthesized. The study of scintillation properties of the prepared samples showed their complete correspondence to the properties of Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 single crystals