Fluoride Nanoscintillators
Abstract
A preliminary investigation of the scintillation response of rare earth-doped fluoride nanoparticles is reported. Nanoparticles of CaF2 : Eu, BaF2 : Ce, and LaF3 : Eu were produced by precipitation methods using ammonium di-n-octadecyldithiophosphate (ADDP) as a ligand that controls growth and lessens agglomeration. The structure and morphology were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, while the scintillation properties of the nanoparticles were determined by means of X-ray and241Am irradiation. The unique aspect of scintillation of nanoparticles is related to the migration of carriers in the nanoscintillator. Our results showed that even nanoparticles as small as ~4 nm in size effectively scintillate, despite the diffusion length ofe-hpairs being considerably larger than the nanoparticles themselves, and suggest that nanoparticles can be used for radiation detection.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2011
- Source ID
- 10.1155/2011/523638
Entities
People
- Courtney J. Kucera
- Eduardo G. Yukihara
- John Ballato
- Kevin B. Sprinkle
- Luiz G. Jacobsohn
- Steven A Roberts
- Tiffany L. James
- Timothy A. Devol
Organizations
- Clemson University
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- Oklahoma State University–Stillwater