Radiochemical synthesis of 105gAg-labelled silver nanoparticles

A method for synthesis of radiolabelled silver nanoparticles is reported. The method is based on proton activation of silver metal powder, enriched in 107Ag, with a 31 MeV proton beam. At this proton energy 105gAg is efficiently created, mainly via the 107Ag(p,3n)105Cd105gAg reaction. 105gAg has a half-life of 41.3 days and emits easily detectable gamma radiation on decay to 105Pd. This makes it very useful as a tracing isotope for experiments over several weeks or months. Following activation and a period to allow short-lived isotopes to decay, the powder was dissolved in concentrated nitric acid in order to form silver nitrate, which was used to synthesise radiolabelled NPs with a hydrodynamic diameter of 16 nm via the process of sodium borohydride reduction. The NPs were characterised using Dynamic Light Scattering, X-Ray Diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy. For comparison, non-radioactive AgNPs were synthesised using commercially supplied non-radioactive AgNO3 in order to check if the synthesis process of radiolabelled AgNO3 would alter in any way the final nanoparticle characteristics. No significant difference was observed.

ICHEDEF Cigdem;  SIMONELLI Federica;  HOLZWARTH Uwe;  PIELLA BAGARIA J;  PUNTES V F;  COTOGNO Giulio;  GILLILAND Douglas;  GIBSON Peter; 

2013-11-27

SPRINGER

JRC83898

1388-0764,   

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11051-013-2073-8,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC83898,   

10.1007/s11051-013-2073-8,