Detection of X‐Ray Doses with Color‐Changing Hackmanites: Mechanism and Application

Abstract Hackmanites, a variety of sodalite with the general formula Na 8 Al 6 Si 6 O 24 (Cl,S) 2 , are a family of nature‐based smart materials having the ability for reversible photochromism upon UV or X‐ray exposure. Being nontoxic, cheap, and durable, hackmanite would be an optimal material for the visual detection of the presence of X‐rays in simple portable systems. However, its X‐ray‐induced coloring abilities are so far known only qualitatively. In this work, a combination of experimental and computational methods is used to reveal the mechanism of X‐ray‐induced color changing in these materials. Finally, their use is demonstrated both in color intensity‐based X‐ray dosimetry and photochromic X‐ray imaging.