Understanding nanoparticle behaviors in solution under X-ray irradiation can help advance the development of drug delivery and theoretical modeling. Currently, there are no viable methods to study the behavior of highly dense nanoparticles dissolved in solution unless the solution is frozen and/or diluted, both of which disturb the natural environment of the nanoparticles.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have discovered a process called x-ray induced energy transfer (XIET) between nanoparticle donors and acceptors as well as developed a method, based on this process, to study the interactions of high density nanoparticles with high spatial resolution. The long penetration depth of X-rays allows energy transfer between the irradiated nanoparticle donor/acceptor pair to be studied in dense materials embedded in opaque media. The method can also be used to create targeted drug delivery systems by introducing a strong x-ray absorbing donor material that targets a specific host (such as cancer cells in a particular organ) and transfers the absorbed x-ray energy to a drug delivery release vehicle or acceptor. A lethal dose of drugs can be released with a low x-ray dose due to the increased radiation effect (type 2 physical enhancement, T2PE) on the vehicle generated by the donor material. XIET efficiency with T2PE has the potential to improve drug delivery and establish models for more efficient nanomaterial studies.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a method to study interactions of high density nanoparticles in solution with high spatial resolution.