Enhanced luminescence, thermal stability, and scintillation performance in Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺ phosphors via a lattice modification strategy based on Mg²⁺ co-doping

Mn²⁺-based inorganic scintillation phosphors have attracted considerable attention due to their tunable optical properties, low toxicity, and high luminescent efficiency. However, their practical applications commonly suffer from extreme thermal quenching. In this paper, a lattice modification strategy involving the introduction of Mg²⁺ into Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺ phosphors is proposed to improve the thermal stability and luminescence of Mn²⁺. The X-ray excited luminescence (XEL) intensity of Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺,Mg²⁺ phosphors is 493% of that of Bi₄Ge₃O₁₂ powders and is enhanced by 2 times compared to that of Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺ phosphors. The corresponding flexible film exhibits a high spatial resolution of 20 lp/mm and excellent stability after immersion in H₂O or CH₃CH₂OH for 10 d. In addition, the Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺,Mg²⁺ phosphors present unique anti-thermal quenching luminescence. Its XEL intensity at 483 K is 126% of that at 303 K. Through thermoluminescence analysis, the anti-thermal quenching of Mn²⁺ can be explained by the fact that Mg²⁺ incorporation effectively reduces structural defects induced by Mn²⁺–Zn²⁺ substitution. This work confirms the scintillation potential of Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺,Mg²⁺ phosphors and offers a meaningful strategy for developing novel scintillators for advanced X-ray imaging applications.