Open AccessSeparation of 103Ru from a proton irradiated thorium matrix: A potential source of Auger therapy radionuclide 103mRh
Author(s) -
Tara Mastren,
Valery Radchenko,
Philip D. Hopkins,
Jonathan W. Engle,
John W. Weidner,
Roy Copping,
Mark Brugh,
F.M. Nortier,
Eva R. Birnbaum,
Kevin D. John,
Michael E. Fassbender
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0190308
Subject(s) - radiochemistry , yield (engineering) , proton , irradiation , chemistry , thorium , actinide , ruthenium , lanthanide , fission products , isotope , ion , nuclear chemistry , materials science , uranium , nuclear physics , physics , metallurgy , catalysis , biochemistry , organic chemistry
Ruthenium-103 is the parent isotope of 103m Rh (t 1/2 56.1 min), an isotope of interest for Auger electron therapy. During the proton irradiation of thorium targets, large amounts of 103 Ru are generated through proton induced fission. The development of a two part chemical separation process to isolate 103 Ru in high yield and purity from a proton irradiated thorium matrix on an analytical scale is described herein. The first part employed an anion exchange column to remove cationic actinide/lanthanide impurities along with the majority of the transition metal fission products. Secondly, an extraction chromatographic column utilizing diglycolamide functional groups was used to decontaminate 103 Ru from the remaining impurities. This method resulted in a final radiochemical yield of 83 ± 5% of 103 Ru with a purity of 99.9%. Additionally, measured nuclear reaction cross sections for the formation of 103 Ru and 106 Ru via the 232 Th(p,f) 103,106 Ru reactions are reported within.