Innovative mateRials for Extreme radoN capture – IRENE

The radioactive background induced by 222Rn is one of the strongest constraints on sensitivity in low-energy and very low counting rate experiments in particle and astroparticle physics, including neutrinoless double beta decay and the direct detection of dark matter. These constraints require an extremely high level of purity, with radon concentrations of only a few atoms per m3 or per tonne of the detection medium. To achieve the draconian purity conditions imposed by future experiments, particularly in the presence of xenon as a detection medium, new materials with a high radon adsorption capacity and extremely high radon selectivity are required. This experimental challenge requires an innovative and interdisciplinary collaboration between particle physicists, adsorption specialists and chemists experienced in the synthesis of organic and inorganic adsorbents. Five laboratories, CPPM, MADIREL, ISm2, ILJ and IS2M propose to collaborate in this research. Three research pathways will be considered - both theoretically and experimentally - allowing a new generation of zeolites, carbonaceous compounds and cryptophanes with structures and chemical compositions optimized for radon capture to be synthesized and studied in detail.