Lithium-loaded acetone-based novel liquid scintillator
Abstract Liquid scintillators are widely used in diverse fields because they can be easily synthesized and offer high light yield. Therefore, developing a stable liquid scintillator is crucial. In this study, we synthesized a novel liquid scintillator using acetone as a base solvent and measured its...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12985-6 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849344324559437824 |
|---|---|
| author | Tae Yeong Kang Ji Young Choi Kyung Kwang Joo Eun Min Kim Sang Yong Kim |
| author_facet | Tae Yeong Kang Ji Young Choi Kyung Kwang Joo Eun Min Kim Sang Yong Kim |
| author_sort | Tae Yeong Kang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Liquid scintillators are widely used in diverse fields because they can be easily synthesized and offer high light yield. Therefore, developing a stable liquid scintillator is crucial. In this study, we synthesized a novel liquid scintillator using acetone as a base solvent and measured its physical and optical properties. The optimal mixing ratio of acetone, water, and fluors constituting the liquid scintillator was investigated. Although acetone is a polar solution, we noticed that it also exhibits non-polar properties and used it to synthesize lithium-loaded liquid scintillator. This is a completely new method to load lithium by taking advantage of the amphiphilicity of acetone. In addition, neutron and gamma discrimination was attempted by loading enriched $$^{6}$$ Li, which has a large neutron capture cross section. Unlike that in previous studies, no strong hydrochloric acid, surfactants, or any other solubilizing additions are required when loading $$^{6}$$ Li. A 100 ml glass cell was filled with our liquid scintillator and irradiated with $$^{252}$$ Cf radioactive source. For neutron and gamma discrimination, conventional pulse shape discrimination method was used. To the best of our knowledge, no previous study has attempted a liquid scintillator using acetone, and this type of product is not available at all in the current market up to now. Nonetheless, there is still room to improve and potential for a new type of development in this field. We believe that these results have potential applications in next-generation particle, nuclear, and medical physics experiments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1eb35adf4e314ae994dd320f97ac7fe7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-1eb35adf4e314ae994dd320f97ac7fe72025-08-20T03:42:41ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-12985-6Lithium-loaded acetone-based novel liquid scintillatorTae Yeong Kang0Ji Young Choi1Kyung Kwang Joo2Eun Min Kim3Sang Yong Kim4Center for Precision Neutrino Research, Department of Physics, Chonnam National UniversityCenter for Precision Neutrino Research, Department of Physics, Chonnam National UniversityCenter for Precision Neutrino Research, Department of Physics, Chonnam National UniversityCenter for Precision Neutrino Research, Department of Physics, Chonnam National UniversityCenter for Precision Neutrino Research, Department of Physics, Chonnam National UniversityAbstract Liquid scintillators are widely used in diverse fields because they can be easily synthesized and offer high light yield. Therefore, developing a stable liquid scintillator is crucial. In this study, we synthesized a novel liquid scintillator using acetone as a base solvent and measured its physical and optical properties. The optimal mixing ratio of acetone, water, and fluors constituting the liquid scintillator was investigated. Although acetone is a polar solution, we noticed that it also exhibits non-polar properties and used it to synthesize lithium-loaded liquid scintillator. This is a completely new method to load lithium by taking advantage of the amphiphilicity of acetone. In addition, neutron and gamma discrimination was attempted by loading enriched $$^{6}$$ Li, which has a large neutron capture cross section. Unlike that in previous studies, no strong hydrochloric acid, surfactants, or any other solubilizing additions are required when loading $$^{6}$$ Li. A 100 ml glass cell was filled with our liquid scintillator and irradiated with $$^{252}$$ Cf radioactive source. For neutron and gamma discrimination, conventional pulse shape discrimination method was used. To the best of our knowledge, no previous study has attempted a liquid scintillator using acetone, and this type of product is not available at all in the current market up to now. Nonetheless, there is still room to improve and potential for a new type of development in this field. We believe that these results have potential applications in next-generation particle, nuclear, and medical physics experiments.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12985-6Liquid scintillatorAcetone6-lithiumLight yieldAbsorptionEmission spectrum |
| spellingShingle | Tae Yeong Kang Ji Young Choi Kyung Kwang Joo Eun Min Kim Sang Yong Kim Lithium-loaded acetone-based novel liquid scintillator Scientific Reports Liquid scintillator Acetone 6-lithium Light yield Absorption Emission spectrum |
| title | Lithium-loaded acetone-based novel liquid scintillator |
| title_full | Lithium-loaded acetone-based novel liquid scintillator |
| title_fullStr | Lithium-loaded acetone-based novel liquid scintillator |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lithium-loaded acetone-based novel liquid scintillator |
| title_short | Lithium-loaded acetone-based novel liquid scintillator |
| title_sort | lithium loaded acetone based novel liquid scintillator |
| topic | Liquid scintillator Acetone 6-lithium Light yield Absorption Emission spectrum |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12985-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT taeyeongkang lithiumloadedacetonebasednovelliquidscintillator AT jiyoungchoi lithiumloadedacetonebasednovelliquidscintillator AT kyungkwangjoo lithiumloadedacetonebasednovelliquidscintillator AT eunminkim lithiumloadedacetonebasednovelliquidscintillator AT sangyongkim lithiumloadedacetonebasednovelliquidscintillator |