Comparison of the optical property degradation of oxide micro- and nanopowders irradiated by 100 keV protons

The effects of proton (E = 100 keV, F = 5 × 10 15 сm −2 ) exposure on the reflective spectra of Al 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , TiO 2 , Y 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , ZnO micro- and nanopowders in wavelength range from 250 to 2500 nm have been investigated. It has been established that titanium dioxide nanopowders have higher radiation stability to protons exposure in comparison with the other white powders (TiO 2 , Y 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , ZnO, ZrO 2 ) used as pigments for coatings. This effect is caused by high specific surface area of the nanoparticle causing fast recombination processes of electrons and holes in various surface drains.