Preconcentration and assay of radionuclides with self assembled monolayers on mesoporous supports

Self Assembled Monolayers on Mesoporous Supports (SAMMS) are nanostructured silica sorbents that offer fast uptake kinetics, high material loading, and excellent selectivity. We have found that these materials rapidly preconcentrate radionuclides from solution and enable direct assay. We will discuss the utilization of SAMMS for measurement of alpha-, beta- and gamma-emitters. The issues involved in direct counting of SAMMS with various methods are explored. We will discuss the advantages, challenges, and limitations involved in using SAMMS for radiochemical analysis.