Thermal stability of the luminescence emission of irradiated paracetamol

This paper reports the thermal effect on the luminescence emission of commercially available paracetamol (4-(acetylamino)phenol) tablets when exposed to ionizing radiation in the 1–20 Gy range. The sample was previously analyzed using techniques such as environmental scanning microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermal X-ray diffraction (TXRD), differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetry analysis and cathodoluminescence. The results show a significant stability of thermoluminescence (TL) emission. Reusability TL test involving successive cycles of irradiation (10 Gy) and readout (up to 130 °C) and dose–response and T max − T stop studies indicate a null damage on the monoclinic structure of paracetamol due to the beta radiation exposure and/or thermal treatments. The behavior observed from the T max − T stop test indicates very close energy levels denoting a continuum in the trap system that is supported by the activation energy values (1.06–1.33 eV) estimated by the initial rise method. There is no variation in the lattice structure of paracetamol samples when thermally treated up to 170 °C according to the structural parameters a o , b o , c o , β angle and the cell volume calculated by the Rietveld refinement technique from the TXRD profiles.