New directions for tetrazolium - gellan gum gel dosimeters

Tetrazolium salt-based dosimeters are non-diffusing, gel dosimeters with excellent physical and chemical stability but with relatively low dose sensitivity and a dose rate dependence of the dose response. Both issues are tackled in this study by: (a) the introduction of a new tetrazolium salt with simple synthesis and dose response around 585 nm which may provide the pathway to more sensitive formulations and (b) producing gels with low gellan gum concentration, thus limiting the dose rate effects, and addition of thickening agents to restrain the liquid loss (syneresis) from the resulting gels.