What is claimed is:
1. A nanoscintillation system comprising nanoparticles suspended in an aqueous vehicle, the nanoparticles comprising:
at least one nanoparticle matrix material
at least one surfactant or co-surfactant or a mixture thereof, and
at least one primary or secondary fluor molecule or a mixture thereof.
2. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the nanoparticles having a diameter less than 1000 nanometers.
3. The nanoscintillation system of claim 2, the nanoparticles having a diameter less than 300 nanometers.
4. The nanoscintillation system of claim 2, the nanoparticles having a diameter less than 100 nanometers.
5. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, further comprising an electron-emitting or alpha-particle-emitting radioisotope.
6. The nanoscintillation system of claim 5, the electron-emitting or alpha-particle-emitting radioisotope being free or attached to one or more molecules in the aqueous vehicle.
7. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, further comprising one or more ligands coupled to one or more of the nanoparticles.
8. The nanoscintillation system of claim 7, the one or more ligands comprising a protein, carbohydrate, or a combination thereof.
9. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the nanoparticle matrix material comprising emulsifying wax, a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, a polyoxyethylene stearate, or polystyrene or its derivative or copolymer thereof.
10. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the nanoparticle matrix material being present at a concentration from 0.1 to 300 mgmL.
11. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the aqueous vehicle comprising water or an aqueous buffer.
12. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the surfactant or co-surfactant comprising a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, a polyoxyethylene stearate, Triton or its derivative thereof, or an alcohol.
13. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, surfactants being present at a total concentration of 1-5000 mM.
14. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the primary fluor molecule comprising 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO), 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD), 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (butyl-PBD), 2,5-bis(5-tert-butyl-2-benzoxazolyl)thiophene (BBOT), or derivatives or combinations thereof.
15. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, the secondary fluor molecule comprising 1,4-bis(5-phenyloxazol-2yl)benzene (POPOP), 1,4-bis(2-methylstyryl)benzene (bis-MSB), or derivatives or combinations thereof.
16. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, primary fluor molecules being present at a total concentration of at least 1 mgmL.
17. The nanoscintillation system of claim 1, water comprising at least 50% of the total weight of the nanoscintillation system.
18. A method for scintillation measurement, comprising:
obtaining a nanoscintillation system according to claim 1; and
measuring scintillation associated with the nanoscintillation system.
19. A nanoparticle comprising:
at least one liquid nanoparticle matrix material;
at least one surfactant or co-surfactant or a mixture thereof, and
at least one primary or secondary fluor molecule or a mixture thereof;
wherein the nanoparticle is made from an oil-in-water microemulsion precursor.
20. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the at least one liquid nanoparticle matrix material comprising an oil phase, and the nanoparticle being made when the liquid nanoparticle matrix material is dispersed with the at least one primary or secondary fluor molecule in an aqueous continuous phase to form a surfactant stabilized microemulsion, and the surfactant stabilized microemulsion is cooled to room temperature while stirring.
21. The nanoparticle of claim 20, the oil phase being present as liquid droplets having a diameter less than 1000 nanometers.
22. The nanoparticle of claim 20, the continuous phase being water or an aqueous buffer present at a concentration of greater than 50% ww.
23. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the liquid nanoparticle matrix material comprising an emulsifying wax, a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, a polyoxyethylene stearate, polystyrene, or derivatives or combinations thereof.
24. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the liquid nanoparticle matrix material comprising polystyrene, a copolymer of polystyrene, or a derivative thereof and having a melting point between 40 C. and 80 C.
25. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the liquid nanoparticle matrix material comprising styrene, divinyl benzene, toluene, an aromatic or unsaturated monomer capable of being polymerized by one or more free radicals, or a derivative or combination thereof.
26. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the liquid nanoparticle matrix material being present in a continuous phase at a concentration from 0.1 to 300 mgmL.
27. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the surfactant or co-surfactant comprising a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, a polyoxyethylene stearate, Triton or its derivative thereof, or an alcohol.
28. The nanoparticle of claim 19, surfactants being present at a total concentration of 1-5000 mM.
29. The nanoparticle of claim 28, surfactants being present at a total concentration of 1-300 mM.
30. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the primary fluor molecule comprising 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO), 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD), 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (butyl-PBD), 2,5-bis(5-tert-butyl-2-benzoxazolyl)thiophene (BBOT), or derivates or combinations thereof.
31. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the secondary fluor molecule comprising 1,4-bis(5-phenyloxazol-2yl)benzene (POPOP), 1,4-bis(2-methylstyryl)benzene (bis-MSB), or derivates or combinations thereof.
32. The nanoparticle of claim 19, primary fluor molecules being present at a total concentration of at least 1 mgmL.
33. The nanoparticle of claim 19, the at least one liquid nanoparticle matrix material being polymerizable and comprising an oil phase, and the nanoparticle being made when the liquid nanoparticle matrix material is dispersed with at least one primary or secondary fluor molecule in an aqueous continuous phase to form a surfactant stabilized microemulsion, and the liquid nanoparticle matrix material is polymerized by free-radical polymerization.
34. The nanoparticle of claim 33, free-radical polymerization being performed by heating the surfactant stabilized microemulsion, by adding a free-radical initiator, or by a combination thereof.
35. The nanoparticle of claim 33, the oil phase comprising liquid droplets having a diameter less than 1000 nanometers.
36. The nanoparticle of claim 33, the continuous phase comprising at least 50% water or an aqueous buffer.
37. A method for scintillation measurement, comprising:
obtaining a nanoparticle according to claim 19; and
measuring scintillation associated with the nanoparticle.
38. A method of making a nanoscintillation system, comprising:
dispersing a liquid nanoparticle matrix material with a fluor molecule in an aqueous continuous phase to form a surfactant stabilized microemulsion; and
cooling the surfactant stabilized microemulsion to room temperature while stirring.
39. A method of making a nanoparticle useful for scintillation, comprising:
obtaining a nanoparticle matrix material;
melting the nanoparticle matrix material to form a liquid dispersed phase;
dispersing a fluor molecule into the liquid dispersed phase;
dispersing the liquid dispersed phase, including the fluor molecule, in an aqueous continuous phase to form a surfactant stabilized microemulsion; and
cooling the microemulsion while stirring to form a solid stable nanoparticle having a diameter of less than about 300 nanometers, which includes the fluor molecule either entrapped in or adsorbed to the nanoparticle.
40. The method of claim 39, the melting occurring at a temperature between about 35 C. and about 100 C.
41. The method of claim 39, the cooling comprising cooling with no dilution in water.
42. A method of making a nanoscintillation system, comprising:
dispersing a liquid nanoparticle matrix material with a fluor molecule in an aqueous continuous phase to form a surfactant stabilized microemulsion; and
polymerizing the liquid nanoparticle matrix material by free-radical polymerization.
43. The method of claim 42, the free-radical polymerization being performed by heating the surfactant stabilized microemulsion, by adding a free-radical initiator, or by a combination thereof.
44. The method of claim 42, further comprising concentrating the nanoscintillation system.
45. The method of claim 44, the concentrating comprising centrifugal ultrafiltration.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A production method for a fine metal component, characterized by comprising the steps of:
fixing a mold composed of an insulating material having a fine through-hole pattern corresponding to the shape of a fine metal component on a conductive substrate with a conductive film composed of a conductive paste, characterized in that a metal powder having the form of a lot of fine metal particles including a metal selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, and alloys of not less than two of Ni, Fe, and Co being linked in a chain shape by magnetism is contained as a conductive component, intervened between the conductive substrate and the mold to form a mold for electroforming; and
making a plated coating selectively grow on a surface of the conductive substrate or the conductive film exposed at a portion of the through-hole pattern of the mold for electroforming by electroplating using the surface as an electrode, to form a fine metal product corresponding to the shape of the through-hole pattern.
2. The production method for a fine metal component according to claim 1, characterized in that used as the conductive paste is one which respectively contains a chain-shaped metal powder and a binding agent as solid contents and in which the content of the chain-shaped metal powder in the total amount of the solid contents is 0.05 to 20% by volume.
3. The production method for a fine metal component according to claim 1, characterized in that used as the conductive paste is one containing the chain-shaped metal powder as well as a granular metal powder having a smaller particle diameter than the chain-shaped metal powder.
4. The production method for a fine metal component according to claim 3, characterized in that used as the conductive paste is one which respectively contains the chain-shaped metal powder, a granular metal powder, and a binding agent as solid contents and in which the content of the chain-shaped metal powder in the total amount of the solid contents is 0.05 to 20% by volume and the content of the granular metal powder therein is 0.05 to 20% by volume.
5. A production method for a fine metal component, characterized by comprising the steps of:
forming on a conductive substrate a first conductive film composed of the conductive paste, characterized in that a metal powder having the form of a lot of fine metal particles including a metal selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, and alloys of not less than two of Ni, Fe, and Co being linked in a chain shape by magnetism is contained as a conductive component, and a second conductive film composed of a conductive paste containing a metal powder having a smaller particle diameter than a chain-shaped metal powder contained in the first conductive film in this order, and fixing a mold composed of an insulating material having a fine through-hole pattern corresponding to the shape of a fine metal component on a conductive substrate with both the conductive films intervened between the conductive substrate and the mold, to form a mold for electroforming; and
making a plated coating selectively grow on a surface of the second conductive film exposed at a portion of the through-hole pattern of the mold for electroforming by electroplating using the surface as an electrode, to form a fine metal component corresponding to the shape of the through-hole pattern.
6. The production method for a fine metal component according to claim 5, characterized in that used as the conductive paste for forming the second conductive film is one which respectively contains a metal powder and a binding agent as solid contents and in which the content of the metal powder in the total amount of the solid contents is 0.05 to 70% by volume.