Investigation of imaging properties of novel contrast agents based on gold, silver and bismuth nanoparticles in spectral computed tomography using Monte Carlo simulation

Nanoscale dosimetric consequences around bismuth, gold, gadolinium, hafnium, and iridium nanoparticles irradiated by low energy photons

In the current study, nanoscale physical dose distributions around five potential nanoparticles were compared. Five potential nanoparticles including bismuth, gold, gadolinium, hafnium, and iridium nanoparticles in the form of a sphere with a diameter of 50 nm were simulated in a water medium. The MCNPX (2.7.0) Monte Carlo code with updated libraries was used for calculations of electron dose deposition and electron flux in water from 25 nm up to 4000 nm with a step of 25 nm. Also, secondary electron spectra after irradiation of nanoparticles with mono-energetic photons with energies of 30, 60, 100 keV were derived. The nano-scale distance-dose curves showed a very steep gradient with distance from nanoparticle surface up to 60 nm and after this point, a gradual decrease was seen. The dose deposition characteristics in the nano-scale were dependent on the type of nanoparticle as well as photon energy. Our results concluded that for each photon energy in the energy range of 30-100 keV, a suitable nanoparticle can be selected to boost the effect of energy deposition by low energy photon beams used in brachytherapy.