Enhancement of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) luminescence to develop a proton scintillator.

The polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) luminescence, induced by MeV proton beams, has been investigated in the pure and doped polymer. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and graphene oxide microparticles (GO μ Ps) have been employed at low concentration (0.1 wt%) to modify the PDMS properties. Measurements have demonstrated that AuNPs enhance the PDMS luminescence, while GO μ Ps quench the polymer luminescence. The first ones, embedded into PDMS, produce a visible luminescence whose intensity is proportional to the absorbed proton dose. A linearity between the luminescence intensity and the proton absorbed dose is observed up to about 2.5 kGy, while at higher doses a luminescence saturation region shows up. The polymer can be employed to monitor in vacuum the proton beam spot size and shape and as a plastic scintillator dosimeter with peculiar elastic properties and high biocompatibility, as it will be presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]