Identification and development of nanoscintillators for biotechnology applications

• Published in: Journal of luminescence Vol. 154; pp. 569 - 577
• Main Authors: Jung, J.Y., Hirata, G.A., Gundiah, G., Derenzo, S., Wrasidlo, W., Kesari, S., Makale, M.T., McKittrick, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-10-2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biomedical application; Cold working, work hardening; annealing, quenching, tempering, recovery, and recrystallization; textures; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Drug delivery; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Materials synthesis; materials processing; Nanoscintillators; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Physics; Treatment of materials and its effects on microstructure and properties; UV-emitting; Drug delivery; UV-emitting; Nanoscintillators; Biomedical application; Combustion synthesis; Particle size; Annealing; Drug delivery systems; Material processing; Ultrasonic waves; Silicates; Monocrystals; Ultraviolet radiation; Garnets; Radioluminescence; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0022-2313; 1872-7883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jlumin.2014.05.040

The purpose of this work is to investigate the radioluminescence emission properties in the range 300–400nm of 15 nanoscintillators for potential application in radiation-triggered photodynamic therapy, and compare to those reported for single crystals with same composition. Garnet structures, silicates and an oxide activated with Pr3+ or Ce3+ were prepared by combustion synthesis and subsequently annealed at 1200°C. The (Y1−xPrx)3Al5O12 (x=0.0075, 0.01, 0.0125, 0.015, 0.0175) compositions have the highest luminosity, showing concentration behavior for x>0.01. The average particle size of (Y0.99Pr0.01)3Al5O12 is 80nm, which was obtained by post-annealing high power ultrasonic processing. These results demonstrate that (Y1−xPrx)3Al5O12 is an excellent candidate for nanoscintillators-based biomedical applications. Comparisons to single crystal data indicate a general trend cannot be established between the radioluminescence emission intensity of nanoscintillators and single crystals with the same composition.
•Nanoscintillators were synthesized by combustion reaction with high power ultrasonic processing.•Nanocrystalline (Y1−xPrx)3Al5O12 has potential in radiation-triggered photodynamic therapy.•Nanocrystalline scintillators do not follow the same general trend as single crystal scintillators.