2025/09/11 by Ding, Yayun, Liu, Mengchao, Li, Gaosong +7
#FOS: Physical sciences #Instrumentation and Detectors (physics.ins-det)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2509.09316
This study establishes an innovative room-temperature synthesis approach for tellurium-diol (Te-diol) compounds, which are crucial components in tellurium-loaded liquid scintillator (Te-LS). The synthesis involves the direct reaction of telluric acid with diols (e.g., 1,2-hexanediol) in methanol under ambient conditions (20±5°C) , with the key features of lower energy consumption, enhanced safety, and improved scalability. Mechanistic studies reveal that methanol serves not merely as a solvent but also as a catalyst, playing a critical role in the room-temperature synthesis. The organic amine N,N-dimethyldodecylamine demonstrates dual functionality as both catalyst and stabilizer. The Te-diol compounds enable fabrication of high-performance Te-LS exhibiting exceptional optical transparency (ΔAbs(430nm) ≤ 0.0003 per 1% Te loading), achieving long-term spectral stability exceeding or approaching one year for both 1% and 3% Te formulations, and demonstrating a light yield comparable to that achieved by the azeotropic distillation method. The developed protocol offers a green, efficient alternative for large-scale Te-LS production, particularly valuable for next-generation neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments.