Scintillator material comprising nanoparticles (nanocrystals) comprising lead (Pb),
iodine (I), and optionally one or both of
oxygen (O) and
hydrogen (H) wherein the nanoparticles exhibit room-temperature
scintillation under
gamma irradiation. The
scintillator nanoparticles can comprise Pb3O2I2. The
scintillator nanoparticles can comprise PbIOH in generally equiatomic proportions or non-equiatomic variants thereof that exhibit
scintillation under
gamma irradiation. The
scintillator nanoparticles have a particle dimension in the range of about 5 to about 100 nm. Microparticles (microcrystals) also are provided comprising lead (Pb),
iodine (I), and optionally one or both of
oxygen (O) and
hydrogen (H) grown in a
nanoparticle colloidal solution over time to a particle dimension greater than 0.1 μm, such as about 2 microns. A heterogeneous scintillator material is provided comprising core / shell nanoparticles having a highly hygroscopic or deliquescent
halide-based core activated with trivalent Ln3+ or
divalent Ln2+
lanthanide ions (Ln=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) and a stable non-hygroscopic shell thereon. The heterogeneous nanoparticles can comprise highly hygroscopic
lanthanide halide (LaBr3, LuI3) cores protected with stable non-hygroscopic LaF3 shells. The heterogeneous nanoparticles can comprise deliquescent alkaline earth
halide (SrI2, BaI2) cores protected with stable non-hygroscopic (SrF2, BaF2) shells.