A 2D DNA lattice as an ultrasensitive detector for beta radiations.

There is growing demand for the development of efficient ultrasensitive radiation detectors to monitor the doses administered to individuals during therapeutic nuclear medicine which is often based on radiopharmaceuticals, especially those involving beta emitters. Recently biological materials are used in sensors in the nanobio disciplines due to their abilities to detect specific target materials or sites. Artificially designed two-dimensional (2D) DNA lattices grown on a substrate were analyzed after exposure to pure beta emitters, (90)Sr-(90)Y. We studied the Raman spectra and reflected intensities of DNA lattices at various distances from the source with different exposure times. Although beta particles have very low linear energy transfer values, the significant physical and chemical changes observed throughout the extremely thin, ∼0.6 nm, DNA lattices suggested the feasibility of using them to develop ultrasensitive detectors of beta radiations.