About Nuclear Sensors

The Nuclear Sensors Program in ANSTO Life Sciences applies nuclear science and technology to the application of positrons and design of nuclear sensors, creating innovative healthcare and sustainable environmental practices for research and industry.

Researchers in this program are developing capabilities to assist research and industries develop products that are environmentally sustainable, reduce risk to our communities, and facilitate proactive patient management, to reduce side effects and improve quality of life for the Australian and International healthcare communities.

Reactor-based nuclear sensors

The Nuclear Sensors project will deliver purpose-designed, novel reactor-based nuclear sensors (radiotracers) to probe chemistry of nanomaterials. As particles decrease in size and relative surface areas increase, the sensitivity of detection systems must rise. Radioisotopes are ideal non-destructive tools for studying various material engineering processes. Like the design of radiopharmaceuticals that target disease processes in nuclear medicine, radioisotopes can be incorporated into molecules to form nuclear sensors.

These nuclear sensors can be tailored to target specific material engineering processes. Their high sensitivity and independence to media make them particularly ideal for studying solid-liquid interfaces. Understanding the transport properties of porous materials and the reactivity of functional groups (e.g. carboxylic acids) on the surface of materials are just two of the many applications of this technology.

Radioisotopes

The half-life of the radioisotopes incorporated into a nuclear sensor can be used to monitor chemical processes over seconds through to hours, days and months. Once validated, they can be adapted for high through-put analysis using small quantities of materials (e.g. milligrams) or as in-line monitoring systems which optimise chemical processes to reduce time, energy, or cost, for evaluating stability and optimising material engineering processes.

Collectively, these technologies allow us to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between the structure, surface reactivity and porosity of novel materials. Stable (reactor and cyclotron) radiolabelling methods for tracking and monitoring nanoparticles are available, along with knowledgeable and highly skilled support to partners, ensuring that products and technology reach their full potential.