Advances in borate- and phosphate-based TL materials for in vivo dosimetry

Abstract

Thermoluminescence (TL) materials are well known for a very large number of applications in various fields such as medical research, in vivo dosimetry, environmental dosimetry, personal dosimetry, etc. There are several TL materials available in the market such as fluoride, borate, phosphate, silicate, borosilicate glasses, etc. The TL properties of materials change with the doping of rare-earth and transition impurities in different hosts which are useful for different applications. These doped TL materials can be prepared by different techniques such as, the melt-quenching technique, combustion method, sol–gel method, and others. Radiations such as γ-rays, X-rays, β-rays, photon beam, electron beam, neutron beam, etc., can be used to irradiate these TL materials. In the present state of research, interest is being raised to develop new thermoluminescent materials for various applications in the field of material science and radiation therapy for in vivo dosimetry in view of the rise in the number of cancer patients across the globe. In the last few years, borate and phosphate-based TL dosimeters got more attention in radiation dosimetry. So, this review deals with the recent developments and advancements in borate- and phosphate-based TL materials for in vivo dosimetry.