Direct X‑ray Detectors Based on an Eco-Friendly\nSemiconducting Zero-Dimensional Organic Zinc Bromide Hybrid

Direct\nX-ray detectors that convert X-rays to electrical charges\nhave broad applications in medicine and security screening. Common\nsemiconductors like silicon and selenium for direct X-ray detectors\nhave limitations in performance, versatility, and cost-effectiveness.\nAmong new materials under investigation, metal halide perovskites\ndemonstrate great potential for X-ray detectors; however, they are\nlimited by low stability and toxicity. Here, we report, for the first\ntime, a stable and eco-friendly zero-dimensional (0D) organic metal\nhalide hybrid (OMHH), (TPA-P)<sub>2</sub>ZnBr<sub>4</sub>, for efficient\nX-ray detectors. With molecular sensitization, wherein metal halides\n(ZnBr<sub>4</sub><sup>2–</sup>) act as X-ray absorbers and\norganic semiconducting components (TPA-P<sup>+</sup>, 4-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)-1-propylpyridin-1-ium)\nas charge transporters, 0D (TPA-P)<sub>2</sub>ZnBr<sub>4</sub> detectors\nexhibit an impressive sensitivity of 2,292 μC Gy<sub>air</sub><sup>–1</sup> cm<sup>–2</sup> at 20 V and a low detection\nlimit of 37.5 nGy<sub>air</sub> s<sup>–1</sup>. The exceptional\nstability of 0D (TPA-P)<sub>2</sub>ZnBr<sub>4</sub> facilitates remarkably\nstable direct X-ray detection and shows the tremendous potential of\nrationally designed 0D OMHHs as new-generation radiation detection\nmaterials.