[17p-S2_202-1~6] 2.1 Radiation physics, Material development and characteristic evaluation

2:30 PM - 2:45 PM JST(5:30 AM - 5:45 AM UTC)English Presentation

[17p-S2_202-3] Synthesized ZnO:Cu via Sol-Gel Method for Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) Dosimeter Application

〇(M2)KarenMae Bilar Bolipata^1,2, GilNonato Santos¹, ToniBeth Lopez^1,4, MonBryan Gili³, JosePaolo Bantang¹ (1.DLSU, 2.DOST-SEI ASTHRDP, 3.DOST-PNRI, 4.DOST-AMCen)

Keywords:

OSL dosimeter,sol-gel synthesis,ZnO:Cu

Radiation dosimetry is essential in medical applications to ensure the accurate measurement of ionizing radiation exposure, ensuring patient safety and occupational monitoring. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeters are widely used; however, conventional materials such as Al2O3:C and BeO are costly, toxic, and limited in availability. Zinc oxide (ZnO) has emerged as a promising alternative due to its wide band gap, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. Copper doping is known to enhance luminescent trapping centers. In this research, ZnO:Cu with Cu concentrations of 0, 1, and 5 mol% was synthesized via the sol-gel method. Zinc acetate dihydrate and cupric acetate monohydrate were used as precursor materials. The resulting powders were pelletized, sintered, annealed, and subjected to irradiation. Structural and morphological properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), while OSL measurements were performed to assess dosimetric performance. Preliminary results indicate enhanced luminescence intensity in Cu-doped samples, attributed to Cu-induced trapping centers. The ZnO:Cu pellets exhibit good structural integrity and uniform dopant distribution. These findings suggest that sol-gel synthesized ZnO:Cu is a non-toxic, cost-effective candidate for OSL dosimetry, with further dose-response and stability studies currently in progress.