Lyoluminescence of irradiated saccharides

Abstract Some irradiated saccharides emit light when dissolved in water. Glucose, xylose and mannose were selected as the most suitable materials for lyoluminescence dosimetry. Using 60Co as a radiation γ-source, the performance of these materials has been evaluated from the point of view of sensitivity, stability against thermal annealing or exposure to light and their linear behaviour with doses up to 100 krads. Their lower limit, depending upon the apparatus used is about 100 rads. With trehalose 2H2O and luminol solution, doses between 1 and 106 were measured. It appears that trapped free radicals are responsible for the light emission. An attempt has been made to correlate their esr spectra with their lyoluminescent behaviour. But the actual mechanism of light emission needs further investigation.