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Published on: May 3, 2019
Improved separation scheme for 44Sc produced by irradiation of natCa targets with 12.8 MeV protons
E S Kurakina1, L Wharton2, C Hoehr3
1Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russian Federation; Department of High-Energy Chemistry and Radioecology, D. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Moscow 125047, Russian Federation; Life Sciences Division, TRIUMF, 4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2A3, Canada.
Introduction:
44Sc is of great interest as a positron emission tomography (PET) radionuclide due to its suitable nuclear characteristics: Eβ = 1.47 MeV, branching ratio 94.3% and convenient half-life of 3.97 h. Here, 44Sc was produced via the widely used reaction 44Ca (p,n)44Sc using natural calcium as a target.
Methods:
The irradiation was performed at TRIUMF using the 13 MeV cyclotron. The separation consisted of a combination of DGA branched resin and Dowex 50Wx8 (200-400 mesh). The distribution coefficients of Sc3+ on Dowex 50Wx8 (NH4+ form, 200-400 mesh) with ammonium α-hydroxyisobutyrate (pH = 4.8) medium were determined in this study.
Results And Conclusion:
The tested scheme allows both a reliable separation of 44Sc from the target material as well as from the other competitive metals and a final fraction with high specific activity. The achieved radiochemical yield was 95 ± 3%.
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