Natural leather based gamma-ray shielding materials enabled by the coordination of well-dispersed Bi^(3+)/Ba^(2+)ions and RE_(2)O_(3)coating

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 nano-particles(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_(131)Bi_(546)-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.