Natural leather based gamma-ray shielding materials enabled by the coordination of well-dispersed Bi3+/Ba2+ ions and RE2O3 coating

Abstract Gamma rays is widely used in modern science and technology, but it may cause health damage to practitioners. In the present study, natural composites based on leather and high-Z elements (atomic number ≥ 56) were fabricated and used as gamma rays shielding materials. These shielding materials were prepared by coating rare earth nanoparticles (Er 2 O 3 or La 2 O 3 ) onto the surface of natural leather, which was first impregnated with Bi 3+ and Ba 2+ . Results show that the attenuation efficiency of the prepared Er 1.31 Bi 5.46 -NL (1.31 and 5.46 mmol cm −3 loaded elements) with thickness of 3.2 mm was 61.57% for incident rays at 121.78 keV ( 152 Eu) and reached 96.4% in the incident of 59.5 keV ( 241 Am), which is comparable to that of 0.25-mm lead plate (54.54 mmol cm −3 ). In addition, these natural-leather-based shielding materials exhibited low density (approximately 1/10 of Pb), high strength and wearable behaviors. Graphical abstract