We report the single-step synthesis of radioactive gold nanoparticles with an activity and size appropriate for potential use in cancer treatment and diagnosis. A solution of 2 mM gold chloride (HAuCl⋅3HO), 1 mM polyvinylpyrrolidone (molecular weight, 360,000), and 60 mM 2-propanol was prepared in deionized water. Seven different samples of the solution were irradiated in a neutron flux of 7.45 × 10 n/cm⋅s in a research reactor for 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 30, or 60 min. The resulting nanoparticles were characterized for morphology and chemical composition using a transmission electron microscope and ImageJ. The obtained nanoparticles were 3-450 nm in size. The average size depended on the length of irradiation, with a longer irradiation producing smaller nanoparticles. Irradiation for 10 min produced nanoparticles with characteristics suitable for potential cancer treatment and diagnosis (average size, 50 nm; activity, 6.85 MBq/mL). Direct production of chemically stable radioactive gold nanoparticles was successfully accomplished using the Missouri University of Science and Technology reactor. The nanoparticles had physical and radioactive characteristics potentially useful for cancer treatment and diagnosis.

Synthesis of radioactive, bimetallic nanoparticles was successfully accomplished using the Missouri S&T research nuclear reactor (MSTR). Aqueous solutions of 2 mM gold chloride and 2 mM silver nitrate were prepared and mixed with a solution of 1 mM polyvinylpyrrolidone and 60 mM of 2‐propanol. Four different samples with volume ratios of 70/30, 50/50, 30/70, and 0/100 of Au/Ag were irradiated at a reactor thermal power of 10 kW for 3 min. The morphology, crystal structure, and chemical composition of the resulting nanoparticles were characterized with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Gatan Microscopy Suite Software and the Java‐based image‐processing program ImageJ. It was found that the structure obtained depended on the composition of the irradiated sample, with production of core‐shell and alloyed nanoparticles obtained at different conditions.

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This study reports phonon confinement and strain effects in the Raman spectrum of ion-irradiated and subsequently etched α-quartz. Y-and Z-cut α-quartz single crystals were irradiated at room temperature with 20-MeV Ni 6+ and 40-MeV I 7+ ions. Latent ion tracks were produced with areal densities ranging from the isolated track regime to the overlapping track regime (nominal fluences of 1 Â 10 9 , 1 Â 10 10 , and 1 Â 10 11 ions cm À2 ). Nanowell structures were revealed after vapor etching with hydrofluoric acid (HF) aqueous solutions. A phonon confinement model was invoked to explain the observed changes in the shape of the strong Raman peak located around 463 cm À1 .

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