Improved separation scheme for 44Sc produced by irradiation of natCa targets with 12.8 MeV protons

Abstract Introduction 44Sc is of great interest as a positron emission tomography (PET) radionuclide due to its suitable nuclear characteristics: Eβ+max = 1.47MeV, 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%.