Laser ablation of Fe2B target enriched in 10B content for boron neutron capture therapy

Abstract

The technique of laser ablation in liquids is applied to produce Boron-containing nanoparticles from ablation of a Fe2B bulk target enriched in 10B isotope. Laser ablation of the target in liquid isopropanol results in partial disproportionation to free Fe and Boron while nanoparticles of Fe2B are also presented. The nanoparticles are magnetic and can be collected using a permanent magnet. The average size of nanoparticles is about 15 nm. The content of 10B in the generated nanoparticles amounts to 76.9%. The nanoparticles are biocompatible and can be used in boron neutron capture therapy.