Researchers Unveil Flexible, Low-Cost X-Ray Materials

New organic-inorganic hybrid materials could revolutionize X-ray technology across industries.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 9:58pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A highly structured abstract painting in earthy tones of green, blue, and brown, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals, conceptually representing the complex scientific principles and innovations behind new flexible X-ray materials.Innovative organic-inorganic hybrid materials promise to make X-ray technology more accessible, flexible, and sustainable across industries.Tallahassee Today

Researchers at Florida State University have developed groundbreaking new materials for X-ray detection and scintillation that are more affordable, flexible, and sustainable than traditional options. The team's innovations, including organic metal halide complexes (OMHCs) and organic metal halide hybrids (OMHHs), could enable a new era of wearable radiation detectors and transform industries from medical imaging to nuclear safety.

Why it matters

Current X-ray detectors and scintillators rely on rigid, expensive, and environmentally-harmful materials. These new organic-inorganic hybrid materials developed at FSU offer significant advantages in cost, flexibility, and sustainability, potentially making X-ray technology more accessible and adaptable across a wide range of applications.

The details

The researchers demonstrated the use of OMHCs as direct X-ray detectors that outperform traditional materials, even at low exposure levels. These materials can be melt-processed into amorphous, glass-like forms that are cheaper and easier to fabricate into devices. The team also developed OMHH-based scintillators with high light yield and ultrafast response times, eliminating the need for slow crystal growth. Crucially, the amorphous nature of these materials allows them to be processed into thin films and coatings, paving the way for fabric-based X-ray detectors.

  • The first study was published in April 2026 in the journal Small.
  • The second study was featured in April 2026 in Angewandte Chemie.

The players

Professor Biwu Ma

A professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida State University, leading the research team that developed the new X-ray materials.

Oluwadara Joshua Olasupo

A Ph.D. graduate who contributed to the research.

Tarannuma Ferdous Manny

A graduate student who contributed to the research.

Delft University of Technology

An institution collaborating with FSU to explore diverse applications of the new X-ray materials.

Qrona Technologies

A company collaborating with FSU to commercialize the innovations.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This new class of materials offers tremendous advantages over conventional ones, both in performance and sustainability.”

— Professor Biwu Ma, Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University

What’s next

FSU is already filing patents to commercialize these innovations, with potential applications in medical imaging, security, nuclear safety, and beyond. Collaborations with institutions like Delft University of Technology and Qrona Technologies are exploring diverse uses, from photon-counting computed tomography to X-ray microscopy.

The takeaway

These new organic-inorganic hybrid materials developed at Florida State University have the potential to revolutionize X-ray technology by making it more affordable, flexible, and sustainable. If successfully commercialized, these innovations could transform industries ranging from medical imaging to nuclear safety, expanding access to critical X-ray technologies.