Radiation-induced synthesis of nanoparticles in aqueous solution: A mechanistic approach

Abstract

Radiation-induced synthesis provides many advantages over other conventional methods of synthesis such as- minimal use of potentially toxic chemicals as reducing agents, facile synthesis, simple reaction scheme, rapid or less time consuming, dose-dependent morphology etc. It is carried out in aqueous solution which minimizes the use of organic solvents hence, tedious separation, purification and characterization process is avoided. The radiation-induced synthesis involved both high energy radiation i.e. electron beam and gamma rays (radiation-chemical methods) and low energy radiation i.e. UV photons (photochemical method). In the radiation-chemical method, reducing radicals are generated by the interaction of primary products of radiolysis of water (H•, OH•, eaq−) with the solute molecules, whereas in photochemical method, reducing radicals are generated by direct photoexcitation of solute molecule and H atom abstraction. In this article, we reviewed the mechanistic perspective involved in the synthesis of semiconductor nanoparticles i.e. - CdSe by using the radiation chemical and photochemical methods, discussed tuning of their optical properties and morphology via changing the precursor concentration, dose, dose rate and nature of reducing radicals.