1
|
Villa I, Monguzzi A, Lorenzi R, Orfano M, Babin V, Hájek F, Kuldová K, Kučerková R, Beitlerová A, Mattei I, Buresova H, Pjatkan R, Čuba V, Prouzová Procházková L, Nikl M. On the Origin of the Light Yield Enhancement in Polymeric Composite Scintillators Loaded with Dense Nanoparticles. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:8248-8256. [PMID: 38949190 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Fast emitting polymeric scintillators are requested in advanced applications where high speed detectors with a large signal-to-noise ratio are needed. However, their low density implies a weak stopping power of high energy radiation and thus a limited light output and sensitivity. To enhance their performance, polymeric scintillators can be loaded with dense nanoparticles (NPs). We investigate the properties of a series of polymeric scintillators by means of photoluminescence and scintillation spectroscopy, comparing standard scintillators with a composite system loaded with dense hafnium dioxide (HfO2) NPs. The nanocomposite shows a scintillation yield enhancement of +100% with an unchanged time response. We provide for the first time an interpretation of this effect, pointing out the local effect of NPs in the generation of emissive states upon interaction with ionizing radiation. The obtained results indicate that coupling fast conjugated emitters with optically inert dense NPs could lead to surpassing the actual limits of pure polymeric scintillators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Villa
- Dipartimento di Scienza Dei Materiali, Università Degli Studi Milano-Bicocca, 20125 Milano, Italy
| | - Angelo Monguzzi
- Dipartimento di Scienza Dei Materiali, Università Degli Studi Milano-Bicocca, 20125 Milano, Italy
- NANOMIB, Center for Biomedical Nanomedicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Lorenzi
- Dipartimento di Scienza Dei Materiali, Università Degli Studi Milano-Bicocca, 20125 Milano, Italy
| | - Matteo Orfano
- Dipartimento di Scienza Dei Materiali, Università Degli Studi Milano-Bicocca, 20125 Milano, Italy
| | - Vladimir Babin
- FZU-Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10/112, 16 200 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - František Hájek
- FZU-Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10/112, 16 200 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karla Kuldová
- FZU-Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10/112, 16 200 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Romana Kučerková
- FZU-Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10/112, 16 200 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Beitlerová
- FZU-Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10/112, 16 200 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ilaria Mattei
- INFN Sezione di Milano, via G. Celoria 16, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Hana Buresova
- NUVIA a.s., Trojanova 117, 278 01 Kralupy nad Vltavou, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Pjatkan
- NUVIA a.s., Trojanova 117, 278 01 Kralupy nad Vltavou, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Čuba
- Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering CTU in Prague, 115 19 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Prouzová Procházková
- FZU-Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10/112, 16 200 Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering CTU in Prague, 115 19 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Nikl
- FZU-Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10/112, 16 200 Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Policei Marques N, Isikawa MM, Muradova Z, Morris T, Berbeco R, Guidelli EJ. Size-Dependent Blue Emission from Europium-Doped Strontium Fluoride Nanoscintillators for X-Ray-Activated Photodynamic Therapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2400372. [PMID: 38630101 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202400372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Successful implementation of X-ray-activated photodynamic therapy (X-PDT) is challenging because most photosensitizers (PSs) absorb light in the blue region, but few nanoscintillators produce efficient blue scintillation. Here, efficient blue-emitting SrF2:Eu scintillating nanoparticles (ScNPs) are developed. The optimized synthesis conditions result in cubic nanoparticles with ≈32 nm diameter and blue emission at 416 nm. Coating them with the meso-tetra(n-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphyrin (TMPyP) in a core-shell structure (SrF@TMPyP) results in maximum singlet oxygen (1O2) generation upon X-ray irradiation for nanoparticles with 6TMPyP depositions (SrF@6TMPyP). The 1O2 generation is directly proportional to the dose, does not vary in the low-energy X-ray range (48-160 kVp), but is 21% higher when irradiated with low-energy X-rays than irradiations with higher energy gamma rays. In the clonogenic assay, cancer cells treated with SrF@6TMPyP and exposed to X-rays present a significantly reduced survival fraction compared to the controls. The SrF2:Eu ScNPs and their conjugates stand out as tunable nanoplatforms for X-PDT due to the efficient blue emission from the SrF2:Eu cores; the ability to adjust the scintillation emission in terms of color and intensity by controlling the nanoparticle size; the efficient 1O2 production when conjugated to a PS and the efficacy of killing cancer cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Policei Marques
- Departamento de Física-Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Mileni M Isikawa
- Departamento de Física-Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Zeinaf Muradova
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Toby Morris
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Physics and Applied Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Ross Berbeco
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Eder J Guidelli
- Departamento de Física-Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14040-901, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Crapanzano R, Villa I, Mostoni S, D’Arienzo M, Di Credico B, Fasoli M, Scotti R, Vedda A. Morphology Related Defectiveness in ZnO Luminescence: From Bulk to Nano-Size. NANOMATERIALS 2020; 10:nano10101983. [PMID: 33036427 PMCID: PMC7601266 DOI: 10.3390/nano10101983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
This study addresses the relationship between material morphology (size, growth parameters and interfaces) and optical emissions in ZnO through an experimental approach, including the effect of different material dimensions from bulk to nano-size, and different excitations, from optical sources to ionizing radiation. Silica supported ZnO nanoparticles and ligand capped ZnO nanoparticles are synthesized through a sol–gel process and hot injection method, respectively. Their optical properties are investigated by radioluminescence, steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence, and compared to those of commercial micrometric powders and of a bulk single crystal. The Gaussian spectral reconstruction of all emission spectra highlights the occurrence of the same emission bands for all samples, comprising one ultraviolet excitonic peak and four visible defect-related components, whose relative intensities and time dynamics vary with the material parameters and the measurement conditions. The results demonstrate that a wide range of color outputs can be obtained by tuning synthesis conditions and size of pure ZnO nanoparticles, with favorable consequences for the engineering of optical devices based on this material.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Crapanzano
- Department of Materials Science, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (R.C.); (M.F.); (A.V.)
| | - Irene Villa
- Department of Materials Science, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (R.C.); (M.F.); (A.V.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-02-6448-5169
| | - Silvia Mostoni
- Department of Materials Science, INSTM, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (S.M.); (M.D.); (B.D.C.); (R.S.)
| | - Massimiliano D’Arienzo
- Department of Materials Science, INSTM, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (S.M.); (M.D.); (B.D.C.); (R.S.)
| | - Barbara Di Credico
- Department of Materials Science, INSTM, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (S.M.); (M.D.); (B.D.C.); (R.S.)
| | - Mauro Fasoli
- Department of Materials Science, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (R.C.); (M.F.); (A.V.)
| | - Roberto Scotti
- Department of Materials Science, INSTM, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (S.M.); (M.D.); (B.D.C.); (R.S.)
| | - Anna Vedda
- Department of Materials Science, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (R.C.); (M.F.); (A.V.)
| |
Collapse
|