NER: NanoScintillation Systems for Aqueous-Based Liquid Scintillation Counting

该提案是对NSE，NSF-0019的回应。 生物医学和化学研究人员常规地使用液体闪烁计数作为量化由β粒子发射同位素（例如，3 H和14 C）。 通常，这些样品本质上是水性的，必须与含有溶解的荧光分子（稀释剂）的有机溶剂混合以形成基于乳液的“鸡尾酒”。 虽然效率高，但液体闪烁计数产生的大量“混合”（放射性和有机）废物的处置提出了经济和环境挑战。 为解决这个问题，首席研究员建议应用纳米技术开发一种水基闪烁系统。这项为期12个月的项目的总体目标是开发一种水基NanoScintillation系统，可作为有机溶剂基液体闪烁鸡尾酒的替代品。 提出的两个具体目标是：1）证明一级荧光分子可以被截留在符合以下标准的工程化水基纳米闪烁系统中：系统由98%的水组成，无有机溶剂，永久悬浮颗粒100 nm，和2）证明工程纳米闪烁系统对3 H和14 C的检测效率是商业有机溶剂的50%。基于液体闪烁鸡尾酒。将设计两种类型的稳定的水包油微乳液作为用于固化含有氟分子的固体纳米颗粒的纳米模板。 将测量工程纳米颗粒的粒度、稳定性和悬浮性，作为最佳纳米闪烁系统的标准。 将测定3 H和14 C的最佳系统的检测效率，并与市售的基于有机溶剂的鸡尾酒系统的检测效率进行比较。

This proposal was received in response to NSE, NSF-0019. Biomedical and chemical researchers routinely employ liquid scintillation counting as a means of quantifying the amount of radioactivity emitted by beta-particle emitting isotopes (e.g., 3H and 14C) in samples generated during experiments. Frequently, these samples are aqueous in nature and must be mixed with an organic solvent containing dissolved fluor molecules (scintillators) to form an emulsion-based "cocktail". Although efficient, the disposal of the large quantities of "mixed" (radioactive and organic) waste generated by liquid scintillation counting presents an economical and environmental challenge. To solve this problem, the PI proposes to develop an aqueous-based scintillation system by applying nanotechnology.The overall goal of the 12-month project is to develop an aqueous-based NanoScintillation system that may serve as an alternative to organic solvent-based liquid scintillation cocktails. Two specific aims proposed are: 1) to demonstrate that a primary fluor molecule can be entrapped in an engineered aqueous-based NanoScintillation System meeting the following criteria: system consists of 98% water, no organic solvents, and permanently suspended particles 100 nm, and 2) to demonstrate that the engineered NanoScintillation System has detection efficiencies for 3H and 14C that are 50% of those of commercial organic solvent-based liquid scintillation cocktails. Two types of stable oil-in-water microemulsions as nanotemplates for the curing of solid nanoparticles containing fluor molecules will be engineered. Particle size, stability, and suspendability of the engineered nanoparticles will be measured as a criteria for an optimal NanoScintillation System. The detection efficiency of optimal systems for 3H and 14C will be determined and compared to those of commercially available organic-solvent based cocktail systems.