COPPER NANOPARTICLES FOR IONIZING RADIATION DOSIMETRY FOR THERANOSTICS

Abstract

The present investigation is focused on the effect of copper nanoparticles infused in a PAGAT dosimetry system. Monte
Carlo simulations using the PENELOPE code were employed to analyze a system composed of stabilized copper nanoparticles coated with ascorbic acid. The system was subjected to irradiation with a 150 keV monoenergetic photon
beam, representative of orthovoltage applications. The study evaluated the influence of three key factors: the size of the
copper nanoparticle (ranging from 10 to 300 nm), the coating thickness (ranging from 25 to 400 nm), and the coating
density (ranging from 1.162 to 1.650 g/mL). The findings indicate a slight increase in dose enhancement with increasing
nanoparticle size. Conversely, an increase in stabilizer thickness leads to a decrease in dose enhancement in the PAGAT
system. The effect of changes in stabilizer density on dose enhancement is found to be less significant. Additionally,
the photon fluence spectrum was analyzed for the three studied cases to identify and evaluate the characteristic fluorescence lines of copper. This analysis confirms the presence of characteristic X-rays derived from the presence of copper
nanoparticles, which could potentially serve as a foundation for specific imaging techniques