Sc³⁺ doped CsPbI₃ nanocrystals embedded in glass: Enhancing backlit display technologies and x-ray imaging applications

Halide perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) have shown great potential in liquid crystal display (LCD) and X-ray imaging. Here, Sc³⁺-CsPbI₃ nanocomposites have been synthesized in borosilicate glass by the melt quenching method. Sc³⁺doping reduced the diameter of CsPbI₃ nanocrystals, which in turn increased the bandgap energy, resulting in a 10.9-fold enhancement of photoluminescence (PL) intensity, a 4-fold enhancement of radioluminescence (RL) intensity, and light yield (LY). Goldschmidt's tolerance factor (t' = 0.901) confirmed structural stability approaching the ideal cubic phase. Mott-Schottky analysis reveals that Sc³⁺ doping transforms the CsPbI₃ nanocrystals from p-type to n-type semiconductors. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations validate this transition, demonstrating that Sc³⁺ doping significantly alters the electronic state density and energy band structure of CsPbI₃ nanocrystals. This results in an increase in the free electron density in the conduction band and excitation of the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR), thereby significantly enhancing the PL performance. Ultimately, optimized doped CsPbI₃ NCs embedded within glass exhibited outstanding performance as backlight materials for white light-emitting diode (wLED) and LCD, achieving color gamut coverage up to 119 % of the NTSC standard. Additionally, these materials demonstrated excellent X-ray scintillation performance with spatial resolution reaching up to 17 lp/mm—surpassing several commercial scintillators. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.