Pronschinske, A;
Pedevilla, P;
Murphy, CJ;
Lewis, EA;
Lucci, FR;
Brown, G;
Pappas, G;
... Sykes, EC; + view all
(2015)
Enhancement of low-energy electron emission in 2D radioactive films.
[Letter].
Nature Materials
, 14
(9)
pp. 904-907.
10.1038/nmat4323.
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Abstract
High-energy radiation has been used for decades; however, the role of low-energy electrons created during irradiation has only recently begun to be appreciated. Low-energy electrons are the most important component of radiation damage in biological environments because they have subcellular ranges, interact destructively with chemical bonds, and are the most abundant product of ionizing particles in tissue. However, methods for generating them locally without external stimulation do not exist. Here, we synthesize one-atom-thick films of the radioactive isotope (125)I on gold that are stable under ambient conditions. Scanning tunnelling microscopy, supported by electronic structure simulations, allows us to directly observe nuclear transmutation of individual (125)I atoms into (125)Te, and explain the surprising stability of the 2D film as it underwent radioactive decay. The metal interface geometry induces a 600% amplification of low-energy electron emission (<10 eV; ref. ) compared with atomic (125)I. This enhancement of biologically active low-energy electrons might offer a new direction for highly targeted nanoparticle therapies.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Enhancement of low-energy electron emission in 2D radioactive films |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1038/nmat4323 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nmat4323 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. |
| Keywords: | Beta Particles, Electrons, Gold, Iodine Isotopes, Membranes, Artificial |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Physics and Astronomy |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1474509 |
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