Synthesis and identification of [76As]arsenic trichloride

Radiosynthesis of arsenic trichloride (AsCl3) was achieved using 76As as the radionuclide of choice for preliminary investigations. The synthesis required neutron activation of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) followed by reaction with sulfur monochloride (S2Cl2) under a dry inert atmosphere. The synthesized 76AsCl3 was purified by distillation or partially purified by treatment with dry acetonitrile followed by filtration. Identification was accomplished by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). 76AsCl3 was used for synthesis of a dihydrophenarsazine derivative.