Developing Non-Radioactive, Radical Methods to Screen for Radiolytic Stability

Abstract

Gamma irradiation has applications in polymerization, nanoparticle synthesis, cancer treatment, and food and medical device sterilization. Radiolytically generated radicals cause degradation of nutrients in food, materials in satellites and solar cells, and human health. Radiation effects are studied using gamma radiolysis, a low-throughput, high-cost, and low-accessibility method. We developed a higher-throughput, low-cost, non-radioactive, radical assay that produces radicals similar to those generated in gamma radiolysis and examined monoamide degradation. Our radical assay results correspond to those from gamma irradiation in both monoamide stability and decomposition products, establishing this radical assay as a proof-of-concept screening tool for radiolytic stability.