Radiation sensitivity and EPR dosimetric potential of gallic acid and its esters

•Radiation sensitivity of gallic acid and its esters were studied in intermediate and low radiation dose range using EPR.•While the irradiated samples of GA were presented complex EPR spectra the esters presented singlet ESR spectra.•Samples were compared to alanine in terms of the dosimetric point of view.•The radiation sensitivities of the investigated materials were very low at intermediate doses.•Lauryl ester of gallic acid was found to present a good sensitivity below 10 Gy.

In the preset work the radiation sensitivities of Gallic Acid anhydrous and monohydrate, Octyl, Lauryl, and Ethyl Gallate (GA, GAm, OG, LG, and EG) were investigated in the intermediate (0.5–20 kGy) and low radiation (<10 Gy) dose range using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. While OG, LG, and EG are presented a singlet EPR spectra, their radiation sensitivity found to be very different in the intermediate dose range. At low radiation dose range (<10 Gy) only LG is found to be present a signal that easily distinguished from the noise signals. The intermediate and low dose range radiation sensitivities are compared using well known EPR dosimeter alanine. The radiation yields (G) of the interested material were found to be 1.34×10−2, 1.48×10−2, 4.14×10−2, and 6.03×10−2, 9.44×10−2 for EG, GA, GAm, OG, and LG, respectively at the intermediate dose range. It is found that the simple EPR spectra and the noticeable EPR signal of LG make it a promising dosimetric material to be used below 10 Gy of radiation dose.