Packed Bed Scintillation Particles for Radioisotope Detection and Separations

University of Arizona researchers have developed hydrophilic scintillation microparticles made with polystyrene cores, doped with a scintillator material, and encapsulated with a thin silica coating. The resulting microparticles are hydrophilic and can be easily surface modified to provide a variety of purposes in radioisotope activity detection, such as scintillation proximity arrays, particle-packed cartridges, separation columns, or sensors.

Background:
Radioisotopes are used as molecular tracers in a variety of assays and liquid scintillation cocktails. Scintillation particles are molded polymers with dyes or inorganic glasses. Scintillant microparticles consist of core-shell microparticles for sensitive detection of radioisotope activity.

Applications:

• Liquid scintillation
• Scintillation proximity assays or other radio-assays
• Monitor / control separations with radioisotopes

Advantages:

• Uniform particle size and shape are suitable for use as a separation column packing
• Hydrophilic particles enable attachment of a wide variety of probe moieties