Acquisition of a Liquid Scintillation Spectrometer for Undergraduate Education

放射性同位素是生物化学和医学研究以及环境监测和放射化学研究的重要工具。 该项目的重点是适应目前的研究技术，在生物化学，环境科学和放射化学到化学学生在田纳西理工大学的本科实验室的经验。 液体闪烁光谱法是弱β发射体的主要计数技术，随着当前仪器的进步，α发射体的分析变得越来越普遍。该项目的目标是：1）为学生提供样品制备和α和弱β发射体分析的经验; 2）为学生提供系统内部工作原理的欣赏，使仪器不仅仅是“产生数字的黑盒子”; 3）为学生提供解决放射化学和生物化学中高级问题的工具。 调整的实例是测量小分子与蛋白质的结合（Boles，Biochemistry，1990和Boles，J. Biol. Chem.，1992年），使用新的吸收材料测定饮用水中的放射性核素（Smith，Radiochimica Acta，1993），以及将99 Tc掺入放射性药物（多伊奇，J. Nucl. Med，1987）。该仪器显示出高灵敏度和低背景，通过使用时间分辨脉冲形状分析分离α和β计数，允许观察α和β脉冲形状之间的差异，并使用实时光谱显示基于能谱执行同位素识别。 该项目导致本科生和专业学校，研究生学习，工业职位或政府实验室之间更有效的联系，需要了解液体闪烁光谱学的理论，操作特性和应用。

Radioisotopes are important tools in biochemical and medical research, as well as in environmental monitoring and radiochemical research. This project focuses on the adaptation of current research techniques in biochemistry, environmental science, and radiochemistry into the undergraduate laboratory experience of chemistry students at Tennessee Technological University. Liquid scintillation spectrometry is the primary counting technique for weak beta emitters and, with advances in current instrumentation, the analysis of alpha emitters is becoming common. The objectives of this project are: 1) providing the students with experience in sample preparation and analysis of alpha and weak beta emitters; 2) providing students with an appreciation of the internal workings of the system so that the instrument becomes more than "a black box that produces a number;" and 3) furnishing the students with a tool to attack advanced problems in radiochemistry and biochemistry. Examples of adaptations are the measurement of the binding of small molecules to proteins (Boles, Biochemistry, 1990 and Boles, J. Biol. Chem., 1992), the determination of radionuclides in drinking water using new absorbent materials (Smith, Radiochimica Acta, 1993), and the incorporation of 99Tc into radiopharmaceuticals (Deutsch, J. Nucl. Med, 1987).The instrument exhibits high sensitivity and low background, separates alpha and beta counts through the use of time-resolved pulse shape analysis, allows the observation of the differences between alpha and beta pulse shapes, and performs isotopic identification based on the energy spectra with the use of live spectral display. This project results in a more effective linkage between undergraduate students and professional schools, graduate studies, industrial positions, or government laboratories, where an understanding of the theory, operating characteristics, and applications of liquid scintillation spectroscopy is needed.