ABSTRACT
The high Z chalcohalides Hg3Q2I2 (Q = S, Se, and Te) can be regarded as of antiperovskite structure with ordered vacancies and are demonstrated to be very promising candidates for X- and γ-ray semiconductor detectors. Depending on Q, the ordering of the Hg vacancies in these defect antiperovskites varies and yields a rich family of distinct crystal structures ranging from zero-dimensional to three-dimensional, with a dramatic effect on the properties of each compound. All three Hg3Q2I2 compounds show very suitable optical, electrical, and good mechanical properties required for radiation detection at room temperature. These compounds possess a high density (>7 g/cm3) and wide bandgaps (>1.9 eV), showing great stopping power for hard radiation and high intrinsic electrical resistivity, over 1011 Ω cm. Large single crystals are grown using the vapor transport method, and each material shows excellent photo sensitivity under energetic photons. Detectors made from thin Hg3Q2I2 crystals show reasonable response under a series of radiation sources, including 241Am and 57Co radiation. The dimensionality of Hg-Q motifs (in terms of ordering patterns of Hg vacancies) has a strong influence on the conduction band structure, which gives the quasi one-dimensional Hg3Se2I2 a more prominently dispersive conduction band structure and leads to a low electron effective mass (0.20 m0). For Hg3Se2I2 detectors, spectroscopic resolution is achieved for both 241Am α particles (5.49 MeV) and 241Am γ-rays (59.5 keV), with full widths at half-maximum (FWHM, in percentage) of 19% and 50%, respectively. The carrier mobility-lifetime µτ product for Hg3Q2I2 detectors is achieved as 10-5-10-6 cm2/V. The electron mobility for Hg3Se2I2 is estimated as 104 ± 12 cm2/(V·s). On the basis of these results, Hg3Se2I2 is the most promising for room-temperature radiation detection.
ABSTRACT
The chalcohalide compound Tl6SeI4 is a promising wide-bandgap semiconductor for efficient hard radiation detection at room temperature due to its high density, average atomic number and mobility-lifetime product. However, the nature of its charge transport kinetics, especially the role of defects in recombination, has not been examined in detail. To determine the charge transport kinetics in Tl6SeI4 single crystals, electrical conductivity and photoinduced current transient spectroscopy were measured over the temperature range 105-330 K. These measurements reveal the existence of multiple defect states with energy levels in the range 0.10-0.90 eV, within the bandgap of Tl6SeI4. Large persistent photoconductivity (PPC) is observed at low temperature that shows strong thermal quenching at 160 K. The quenching of PPC is described using a configuration coordinate model involving a deep level donor state, which is tentatively attributed to the presence of iodine vacancies or Si interstitial impurities.
ABSTRACT
The ectopic bone formation of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2(rhBMP-2) was evaluated using absorbable collagen sponges (ACS) and beta tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) as carriers in a rat subcutaneous assay model. Subcutaneous pockets were created on the back of rats. The pockets were implanted with rhBMP-2/ACS, rhBMP-2/beta-TCP, ACS alone, and beta-TCP alone. The rats were sacrificed at 2 or 8 weeks for histological and immunohistochemical evaluation. At 2 weeks, bone formation was evident in both the rhBMP-2/ACS and rhBMP-2/beta-TCP sites. At 8 weeks, the quantity of the new bone with a more advanced stage of remodeling had increased further in the rhBMP-2/beta-TCP sites. However, the newly formed bone observed at 2 weeks was not found in the rhBMP-2/ACS sites. On immunohistochemical observation, osteopontin staining was observed on both the rhBMP-2/ACS (2 weeks) and rhBMP-2/beta-TCP (2 and 8 weeks) sites. Osteocalcin was not detected in any of the samples. The lack of space-providing capacity of ACS may be one of the major factors responsible for its failure to maintain the newly induced bone. Therefore, a carrier for BMPs should provide space for bone formation and maturation during the more advanced healing stages.
