Atomic force microscopy—a visual probe to characterize nanodosimetric devices

We have developed an ultraviolet dosimeter based on lanthanide β-diketonate complexes nanofilms. The UV photodegradation of the nanofilm photonic properties allows it to act as a dosimeter. To develop a better understanding of this UV photodegradation process, we have performed atomic force microscopy (AFM) and in situ mass spectrometry (under ultraviolet exposure) studies of the nanofilms. The results indicate that the UV photodegradation phenomenon does not lead to any microstructural or morphological changes of the samples. Therefore, we reason that the degradation process should be related to changes in the energy transfer between ligands and the central ion of the complexes or else to the creation of nonradiative pathways corroborating for a luminescence quenching related to the UV exposure dose.