PNNL

Abstract

Tracking mass through harsh environments requires surrogate particles that withstand the event and endure until sampling. Silica-covered quantum dots have been shown to be tolerant of harsh locals such as chemical explosions, and are in this work are shown to endure in anticipated local environments. Two methods of particle synthesis were employed to produce luminescent silica with particle diameters from 0.1-4 microns. The silica-covered quantum dots have been shown to endure in a range of environmental pHs from months to years. This work informs on a tracer particle that is scalable for mass production, tolerant of harsh environments, and enduring in debris to enable an elegant solution to the tracking of mass under harsh conditions. It is envisioned that this tag could be deployed in places such as chemical explosions, industrial processes, geologic testbeds, oil/gas fields, nuclear reactors, and geothermal plants.