Lithium-loaded liquid scintillators
The invention is directed to a liquid scintillating composition containing (i) one or more non-polar organic solvents; (ii) (lithium-6)-containing nanoparticles having a size of up to 10 nm and surface-capped by hydrophobic molecules; and (iii) one or more fluorophores. The invention is also directed to a liquid scintillator containing the above composition.
1. A liquid scintillating composition comprising:
(i) one or more non-polar organic solvents;
(ii) (lithium-6)-containing nanoparticles having a size of up to 10 nm and surface-capped by hydrophobic molecules; and
(iii) one or more fluorophores.
2. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-polar organic solvents include an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent.
3. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon solvent comprises a xylene.
4. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fluorophores are selected from organic fluorophores.
5. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 4 , wherein the one or more fluorophores are selected from 2,5-diphenyloxazole and 1,4-bis-2-(5-phenyloxazolyl)benzene.
6. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fluorophores are selected from metal-chalcogenide fluorophores.
7. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 6 , wherein the metal-chalcogenide fluorophores comprise nanoparticles of a sulfide, selenide, or telluride material of Cd, Zn, or a combination thereof.
8. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fluorophores are selected from LaPO 4 nanoparticles doped with one or more rare earth metals.
9. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic molecules include one or more hydrocarbon groups containing at least six carbon atoms each.
10. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , further comprising an energy transfer facilitator substance.
11. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 10 , wherein the energy transfer facilitator substance comprises naphthalene.
12. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition possesses a lithium loading of at least 1.0 weight percent.
13. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition possesses a lithium loading of at least 1.5 weight percent.
14. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition possesses a lithium loading of at least 2.0 weight percent.
15. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the (lithium-6)-containing nanoparticles are lithium-6 phosphate nanoparticles.
16. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the (lithium-6)-containing nanoparticles have a size of 1-5 nm.
17. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the (lithium-6)-containing nanoparticles have a size of 1-3 nm.
18. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the (lithium-6)-containing nanoparticles have a size of 3-5 nm.
19. The liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 , wherein the (lithium-6)-containing nanoparticles have a size of about 1 nm.
20. A liquid scintillator device containing the liquid scintillating composition of claim 1 .