Andrzej G. Chmielewski, Jacek Michalik, Marek Buczkowski, Dagmara K. Chmielewska
Nanotechnology is one of the fastest growing new areas in science and engineering. Radiation is early
applied tool in this area; arrangement of atoms and ions has been performed using ion or electron beams
for many years. Radiation chemists in material processing followed in the past a similar approach as did
chemists in general, namely, treatment in bulk. However, new trends and more precise treatment technology
were followed as well; surface curing, ion track membranes and controlled release drug-delivery systems
are good examples of such developments. The last two products on the list already fit into the definition
of nanomachine: they control substance transport rate by their own structural properties. The ability to
fabricate structures with nanometric precision is of fundamental importance to any exploitation of
nanotechnology. Nanofabrication involves various lithographies to create extremely small structures.
Radiation-based technologies using X-rays, electron beams and ion beams is a key to the variety of
approaches to nanopatterning. Radiation synthesis of copper, silver and many other metallic nanoparticles
in polymers and zeolites is being studied. In this method, a solution of metal salts is exposed to gamma
rays and the reactive species generated by radiation reduce the metal ions yielding free atoms and
semiconductors. Metal sulphide semiconductors of nanometric sizes are prepared using gamma irradiation
of suitable solution of monomer, sulphur and metal sources. These products find application in
photoluminescent, photoelectric, solar cells and non-linear optic materials. Some research on ion
track membranes, radiation induced silver clusters in zeolites and some inorganic type composites
performed in the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (INCT) is reported in the paper.
Selected process applications and methods of analyses based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
and electron spin resonance (ESR) are reported as well. The recent developments concerning possible
applications in nanotechnology may draw scientific interest involving radiation chemistry of inorganic
and inorganic-polymer systems, as well.