Masters Theses

Keywords and Phrases

Bimetallic Nanoparticles; Cancer Treatment; Radioactive Nanoparticles; Research Nuclear Reactor; Synthesis; Water Radiolysis

Abstract

In this work, the synthesis of radioactive nanostructures by water radiolysis was studied. The irradiation processes were done in the Missouri University of Science and Technology research nuclear reactor (MSTR).

Radioactive gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized from aqueous solutions containing the metal salt precursors by radiolysis of water. Seven different samples were irradiated at 200kW of thermal power for 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 30, and 60 minutes. The average sizes of the obtained nanoparticles ranged from 3 nm to 400 nm, it was found that the particle size decreased with the irradiation time. Some agglomerations of particles were found in each solution after the irradiation process. With this research, it was possible to synthesize, in a single step, radioactive AuNPs with the appropriate characteristics to be used in imaging diagnosis and cancer radiation therapy.

Radioactive bimetallic nanoparticles of silver and gold (Au/Ag BMNPs) were synthesized from aqueous solutions containing the metal salt precursors by radiolysis of water. Four samples with different Au/Ag concentration (30/70, 50/50, 70/30, and 0/100 by volume percentage) were irradiated at 10kW of thermal power for 3 minutes. The obtained nanoparticles showed (Au)core-shell(Ag) structure as well as alloyed metal structure depending on the solution concentration. It was found that the alloyed metal nanoparticles presented a faced centered cubic crystal structure with lattice parameter of 4.082 ± 0.001 Å and a chemical composition of 70.21 ± 0.01 wt% Au and 28.59 ± 0.01 wt% Ag.

Advisor(s)

Castano Giraldo, Carlos Henry

Committee Member(s)

Schlegel, Joshua P.
Smith, Joseph D.

Department(s)

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science

Degree Name

M.S. in Nuclear Engineering

Comments

United States Patent Application, US 2018/0240561 A1, Direct Synthesis of Radioactive Nanoparticles Involving Neutrons, is attached as a supplemental file.

More information about the patent may be found here.

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

Summer 2016

Journal article titles appearing in thesis/dissertation

  • Synthesis of Radioactive Gold Nanoparticles Using a Research Nuclear Reactor
  • Production of Bimetallic Gold-Silver Nanoparticles in a Research Nuclear Reactor
  • Theoretical Estimation of The Total Absorbed Dose in MSTR

Pagination

xii, 87 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 78-86).

Rights

© 2016 Maria Camila Garcia Toro, All rights reserved.

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Thesis Number

T 11403

Electronic OCLC #

1052767402

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