Thermoluminescence characteristics of Zn2SiO4/SiO2:Mg nanophosphor under X-ray irradiation

Abstract

In thermoluminescence (TL) dosimetry, the choice of materials and their preparation method are crucial in achieving an efficient dosimeter. Zinc silicate materials have attracted a lot of attention due to their promising luminescence efficiency. However, the luminescence properties of these materials when doped with magnesium have received less attention. In this research, the TL properties of the synthesized Zn2-xSiO4/SiO2:Mgx (ZSMg-x) nanophosphors have been studied for the first time. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analyses were performed to study the crystal structure and morphology of the nanophosphors. The photoluminescence (PL) emission spectrum shows emission bands peaking at wavelengths of 295, 428, 485, 521, and 736 nm. TL glow curves of the fabricated ZSMg-0.5 nanophosphors were analyzed using a computerized glow curve deconvolution program based on the general order Kinetics. Magnesium doping of the Zn2SiO4/SiO2 nanophosphor was found to increase luminescence intensity, resulting in high sensitivity to X-rays. This study showed the effectiveness of ZSMg-0.5 nanophosphor for dosimetry of X-ray radiation.