Monte Carlo simulation of free radical production under keV photon irradiation of gold nanoparticle aqueous solution. Part I: Global primary chemical boost

The use of gold nanoparticles to enhance radiation therapy efficiency has been thoroughly investigated over the past two decades. While theoretical studies have mostly focused on physical mechanisms and dose enhancement, studies of free radical production are scarce. In this work, we investigated the primary yield of free radicals (O•H and H2O2) induced by 20–90 keV monoenergetic photons, for small GNPs concentrations. Our study is based on a...