In situ electrochemical deposition of compact metal-organic framework thin films for high-resolution X-ray imaging

In the field of X-ray imaging, innovative techniques using continuous screens composed of pure scintillation materials provide promising avenues to achieve high spatial resolution and cost effectiveness while reshaping future X-ray imaging technologies. Here, we present a versatile approach based on in situ electrochemical-directed synthesis for the growth of uniform polycrystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films that are tailored for X-ray imaging. Through this electrochemical process, a series of continuous MOF thin films were successfully synthesized and deposited using interconnected lanthanides as the metal centers and terephthalic acid as the organic linkers. Notably, Tb-terephthalate MOF thin films were revealed as excellent materials that enable ultrahigh-resolution X-ray imaging. This achievement is attributed to improved material density and a significant reduction in light scattering. Remarkably, this MOF thin film surpassed most reported organic and inorganic scintillators, achieving an X-ray imaging resolution of 32 line pairs per millimeter.