Crystal plane engineering of MAPbI₃ in epoxy-based materials for superior gamma-ray shielding performance

The rapid development of the aerospace and nuclear industries is accompanied by increased exposure to high-energy ionising radiation. Thus, the performance of radiation shielding materials needs to be improved to extend the service life of detectors and ensure the safety of personnel. The development of novel lightweight materials with high electron density has therefore become urgent to alleviate radiation risks. In this work, new MAPbI₃/epoxy (CH₃NH₃PbI₃/epoxy) composites were prepared via a crystal plane engineering strategy. These composites delivered excellent radiation shielding performance against 59.5 keV gamma rays. A high linear attenuation coefficient (1.887 cm⁻¹) and mass attenuation coefficient (1.352 cm² g⁻¹) were achieved for a representative MAPbI₃/epoxy composite, which was 10 times higher than that of the epoxy. Theoretical calculations indicate that the electron density of MAPbI₃/epoxy composites significantly increases when the content ratio of the (110) plane in MAPbI₃ increases. As a result, the chances of collision between the incident gamma rays and electrons in the MAPbI₃/epoxy composites were enhanced. The present work provides a novel strategy for designing and developing high-efficiency radiation shielding materials.