Impact of Baseline Correction and the Reference Sample Type in UV-Vis Spectrometry on Maltose Optimization in HEMA Polymer Gel Dosimeters
Muhammad Alhassan
Azhar Abdul Rahman
Iskandar Shahrim Mustafa
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the influence of baseline correction methods and reference sample types, on the optical evaluation of 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate (HEMA) polymer gel dosimeters (PGDs) doped with maltose, for optimization purposes. The HEMA PGDs were evaluated using Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectrometry, across 200-800 nm wavelength range. The analysis was carried out at 400 nm. Three baseline correction approaches were employed: Using (i) deionized water (RW), (ii) an un-irradiated sample in the reference holder (RS), and (iii) un-irradiated samples in both reference and sample holders (RSS). The results obtained demonstrate that the choice of baseline correction method and reference sample type influences the radiation sensitivity and dose-response behavior of HEMA-based polymer gel dosimeters (PGDs). Among the three baseline correction approaches tested, the RW method yielded the highest radiation sensitivity. Additionally, the optimal maltose concentration for maximizing PGD sensitivity varied with the baseline correction method, with less maltose needed to attain the highest sensitivity when RW is employed for the PGDs evaluation using UV-Vis. Future work may focus on extending these evaluations to different PGD formulations and on using additives other than maltose.
References