SYNTHESIS OF SILICA-COATED Au WITH Ag, Co, Cu, AND Ir BIMETALLIC RADIOISOTOPE NANOPARTICLE RADIOTRACERS

Abstract

Silica-coated Au with Ag, Co, Cu, and Ir bimetallic radioisotope were synthesized by neutron irradiation, after coating SiO₂ onto the bimetallic particles by the sol-gel Stober process. Bimetallic were synthesized by irradiating aqueous bimetallic ions at room temperature. Their shell and core diameters were recorded by TEM to be 100 . 112 nm and 20 . 50 nm, respectively. The bimetallic radioisotope nanoparticles gamma spectra showed that they each contained two gamma-emitting nuclides. The could be used as radiotracers in petrochemical and refinery processes that involve temperatures that would decompose conventional organic radioactive labels.