ZnO and CuO Oxide Materials in Medical Radiation Dosimetry and Shielding: A Literature Review

Abstract

Accurate measurement and control of ionizing radiation dose is a foundational requirement of modern radiotherapy, diagnostic radiology, and radiation protection practice, driving sustained interest in radiation-sensitive and radiation-attenuating materials suitable for dosimetric and shielding applications. Zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper oxide (CuO), oxide semiconductor materials extensively characterized in materials physics research for their radiation-induced structural and optical property changes, have correspondingly attracted significant attention for medical radiation dosimetry and shielding applications. This review synthesizes recent literature, published predominantly between 2024 and 2026, on the application of ZnO and copper-doped ZnO materials in radiation detection, dosimetry, and shielding relevant to medical and health protection contexts. The review addresses three principal themes: the use of nanostructured ZnO as a scintillator and dosimetric material exploiting its radiation-induced ultrafast decay time and defect formation; the gamma radiation shielding performance of copper-doped ZnO materials, evaluated through combined experimental and Monte Carlo simulation approaches; and the incorporation of ZnO into pharmaceutical and polymer-based composite materials for radiation protection applications. The reviewed literature indicates that the same radiation-induced defect formation and charge trapping mechanisms that necessitate careful characterization of ZnO- and CuO-based materials in conventional electronic and sensor applications directly underpin their functional performance as radiation-sensitive dosimetric materials, while the high effective atomic number and density achievable through copper doping and composite formulation similarly determine gamma shielding effectiveness, together suggesting substantial and currently underexploited translational relevance between materials physics characterization of these oxides and their application in medical radiation dosimetry and protection.