Radiolytic reduction of silver nanoparticles probed in situ via Cherenkov spectroscopy.

Expanding on our previous efforts demonstrating the feasibility of extracting chemical information in steady-state systems of nanoparticles under irradiation, we demonstrate that the Cherenkov spectra can be used to observe chemical changes in real-time, in situ, and for non-equilibrium systems under irradiation. This is done by way of a dose-resolved measurement of the localized plasmon resonance absorption band associated with the formation and growth of silver nanoclusters and nanoparticles produced via radiolytic reduction of a solution of silver ion under exposure to an electron beam. Additionally, the method utilized in this study provided a significant resolution with a simplified optical system. This paves the way for a technique to determine similar changes in the material in medicinal, industrial (nuclear industry), and research applications—and indeed in any application involving ionizing radiation.