Evolution of Gold Nanoparticles in Radiation Environments

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles are being explored for several applications in radiation environments, including uses in cancer radiotherapy treatments and advanced satellite or detector applications. In these applications, nanoparticle interactions with energetic neutrons, photons, and charged particles can cause structural damage ranging from single atom displacement events to bulk morphological changes. Due to the diminutive length scales and prodigious surface-to-volume ratios of gold nanoparticles, radiation damage effects are typically dominated by sputtering and surface interactions and can vary drastically from bulk behavior and classical models. Here, we report on contemporary experimental and computational modeling efforts that have contributed to the current understanding of how ionizing radiation environments affect the structure and properties of gold nanoparticles. The future potential for elucidating the active mechanisms in gold nanoparticles exposed to ionizing radiation and the subsequent ability to predictively model the radiation stability and ion beam modification parameters will be discussed.

Laser‐induced optothermal response of gold nanoparticles: From a physical viewpoint to cancer treatment application

“…In comparison to charge particles, neutrons have a high mean free path (average distance traveled before interaction) owing to the lack of Coulombic interaction. Thus, no significant damage events could be expected for a vast majority of neutrons interacting with GNPs [171].…”

Role of lattice defects on the magnetism of gold nanoparticles irradiated with neutrons

“…13 Taking a neutron absorption cross section of approximatively 100 barn, 14 with a source flux of 10 14 n/cm 2 /s, one can expect at the most ~1.510 12 atoms hit (neutron capture) per second. Similarly, the scattering cross section is approximatively 7b resulting in ~10 11 atoms hit (neutron scattering) per second. These figures, to be taken with caution, result in a maximum of ~10 14 hits for sample NEUTR1 and ~10 17 hits for sample NEUTR4.…”

Evaluation of neutron radiation damage on gold microstructure using MCNP

“…Gold is utilized for different applications in radiation environments. These may include reactor flux monitoring studies and advanced space and satellite detector applications [5,6]. Within these applications, interactions of the material with high-energy particles can occur, leading to microstructural defects.…”