Nanocomposite Thin Films for Dosimetry and Radiation Detection in Nuclear Medicine: Structural, Photophysical, and Biomedical Perspectives: A Review Article

Abstract

     The progressive structural, optical, and electrical properties of nanocomposite thin films in relation to bulk materials have rapidly gained prominence in modern biomedical and radiation research practices. Films of such nature are known to be synthesized with the embedding nanoparticles such as ZnO, TiO₂, and Al₂O₃ into a polymeric or ceramic matrix and are featured with a high level of charge collection, flexibility, and exceptional reactivity to ionizing radiation. To this end, these films have become pivotal facilities for accurate dosimetry, radiation detection, and improvement of imaging in nuclear medicine. Meanwhile, the present review involved multilayering diverse nanocomposite thin film samples that had been mainly synthesized by magnetron sputtering or plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, it was followed by morphological and luminescence examination. The results revealed that ZnO-PMMA and TiO₂-PVA thin films clearly demonstrated luminous signals that manifested stability, linearity with the radiation doses absorbed, detection sensitivities exceeding 0.1 mGy, and linear response in a range of 10 Gy. In addition, the CdS-ZnSe- perovskite-based composite allowed rapid improvement in the energy conversion efficacy during the photodetector assembly for PET and SPECT imaging. Thus, the performed experiments prove that radioluminescent characteristics and dosimetric sustainability significantly depend on nano scale limitation and interface synergy between the nanoparticles and the matrix. In photophysical and plasmonic processes, gold nanoparticles are examined as a high-Z nanomaterial that improves photon interaction and signal sensitivity in nanocomposite thin films for radiation dosimetry. Hence, the tested nanocomposite film samples further prove to be a potential substitution for thermoluminescent dosimeters owing to the exceptional potential in miniaturization, imaging precision, and robustness. The future experiments would involve the production of optimized conditions and biofunctionalized coatings for the flexible medical diagnostics and smart therapeutic system applications.