Effects of Neutron and Gamma Irradiation on Epoxy/Dy Nanocomposite Sheets for Potential Radiation Dosimetry and Optoelectronic Device Applications

Epoxy materials are known for their versatile applications across numerous fields. Investigation of its optical properties, particularly when infused with lanthanides like dysprosium (Dy), and its behaviour under ionising radiation is still underexplored. We synthesised Dy-doped nanocomposites with various Dy³⁺ concentrations, which improved their photoluminescence (PL) and radiation-responsive characteristics. Numerous techniques characterised the synthesised epoxy/Dy nanocomposite. The PL emission increased drastically with increasing Dy concentration, resulting in an almost 19-fold increase. A significant change was observed when the epoxy/Dy nanocomposite sheets were exposed to neutron and gamma radiation with radiation doses ranging from 20 to 200 mGy. Gamma and neutron response tests showed distinctly different behaviour in pure epoxy (a 0.36/mGy increase in PL intensity following gamma exposure) compared to Dy-doped nanocomposites (a 0.23 and 0.18/mGy decrease in PL intensity for gamma and neutron exposure, respectively). Moreover, the nanocomposite sheets showed good PL emission intensity and linear stability for 1 month after irradiation, indicating their potential for long-term applications. Adding Dy³⁺ ions to the epoxy matrix enhances PL emission intensities, and irradiation improves PL emission stability and their nearly excellent linear dose response. Therefore, this study's epoxy/Dy nanocomposite sheets showed potential applications in radiation dosimetry and optoelectronic devices.