Improved extraction efficiency of radioactive copper produced via Accelerator Neutrons method through Phosphate Buffer-enhanced column pre-treatment

Abstract We report a straightforward and robust method for isolating medical copper radioisotopes, ⁶⁴Cu and ⁶⁷Cu, generated by an accelerator neutrons technique from natZn(n,x). This study reveals the key role of a phosphate buffer pre-treatment of the cation exchange column in the separation process. The incorporation of the phosphate buffer into the column pre-treatment, markedly enhances the retention of copper isotopes within the column throughout the separation procedure. This approach yields a high-purity copper sample (almost 100%) with a high extraction efficiency of 94.37(± 1.48)% of the initially produced copper within a short experimental time (approximately 5 hours for 100 g of the starting material). This one-step separation scheme is reproducible across a range of starting material target sizes, from small (10 g) to large (100 g). The high-quality copper radioisotopes obtained are suitable for use in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Thus, this approach offers a more effective means for routine preparation of copper radioisotopes.