Production and supply of high specific activity radioisotopes for radiotherapy applications

High specific activity radioisotopes such as Lu-177, Pm-149, Ho-166 and Rh-105 can be produced by indirect methods involving neutron irradiation of isotopically enriched (e.g. Ru-104) targets producing parent radioisotopes that beta decay to form the desired daughter radioisotopes. For example, Lu-177 can be produced by direct (n, gamma) irradiation of Lu-176. However, only about 20 percent of the Lu-176 atoms are converted to Lu-177 and the long-lived impurity Lu-177m (half-life = 160 days) is also produced in small quantities. Direct irradiation of Yb-176 results in the production of Yb-177 (half-life = 1.9 hr) that beta decays to form Lu-177, with the further advantage that this route of production avoids long-lived Lu-177m. Chemical separation of the Lu-177 from the Yb target results in a high specific activity Lu-177 that can then be used for radiotherapy. Separation of Rh-105 from irradiated Ru-104 targets is also being investigated by volatilization of the Ru

Ion pairing as a strategy for extraction by modified supercritical carbon dioxide: extraction of radioactive metal ions.

Supercritical fluid carbon dioxide was investigated for its potential to extract perrhenate ion pairs. This has implications for radioactive waste processing because Tc-99, the second row congener of Re, is produced in approximately 6% fission yield from nuclear fuel and pertechnetate is its most common chemical form in aqueous environments. The variables examined to maximize extraction of the perrhenate ion pair were temperature, pressure, solvent modification, and ion-pairing agents. The tetrabutyl-ammonium cation was found to form the most efficient ion pair for extracting perrhenate using methanol-modified (approximately 10%) SFCO2 at 70 degrees C and 477 atm, with 0.083 mg of Re/g of SFCO2 extracted.