Radiochromic characteristics of liquid photonic crystal dosimeter

Shape adaptive radiochromic dosimeters have potential in the field of radiotherapy, yet they present significant challenges. In this work, transparent and liquid radiochromic photonic crystals (RPCs) were developed by dispersing monodispersed silica particles in poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA, Mn = 200). The liquid photonic crystals can adapt their shape to the required morphology in radiotherapy, and their reflectance intensity can be enhanced by the radiation-induced polymerization of PEGDA, showing a linear relationship with absorbed radiation doses. Moreover, the liquid dosimeter is capable of detecting an absorbed dose range of 50 to 250 Gy X-ray irradiation, and a spatial resolution finer than 100 μm can be achieved. Additionally, the RPCs can be stored under ambient conditions for 7 days without changing their responsive characteristics. The liquid RPCs system reported in this work exhibits excellent shape adaptability and holds promise for meeting the demands of three-dimensional dose verification, demonstrating its potential value in radiotherapy applications.