Highly Sensitive Gold Nanoparticles–DNA Nanosensor for γ-Radiation Detection

It is very important to control the ionizing radiation dose in radiation therapy, which depends on the accurate and rapid measurement of radiation. Herein, a novel and highly sensitive nanosensor for γ-radiation detection is constructed using single-stranded DNA sequences as radiation-sensitive material and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a signal reporter. Well-dispersed AuNPs gradually aggregated at high salt concentration when the sensor was irradiated, and this change was quantified by the visible spectra and surface plasmon resonance spectra. The radiation nanosensor has excellent linearity in the dose range of 0–100 Gy under optimal conditions. This method is simple and fast, which provides a new path for the γ-radiation dosimeter and has potential applications in the assessment of radiation-induced biological effects.