Introduction Arsenic-72 (72As; 2.49 MeV β+, 26 h) and 77As (0.683 MeV β−, 38.8 h) have nuclear properties useful for positron emission tomography (PET) and radiotherapy applications, respectively. Their half-lives are sufficiently long for targeting tumors with antibodies, as well as peptides. Potential radiopharmaceuticals based on radioarsenic require development of suitable bifunctional chelates for stable conjugation of arsenic to vectors under in vivo conditions at high dilution. Methods The thiophilic nature of arsenic led to the synthesis and characterization of a simple trithiol ligand and its arsenic complex, and radiolabeling studies at the no carrier added (NCA) 77 As level. Results 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and single crystal X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the trithiol ligand and its arsenic(III) complex. Radiotracer studies with no carrier added (NCA) 77As resulted in high radiolabeling yields (>96%) with high in vitro stability. Conclusions The high yield and stability of a single NCA 77As trithiol complex indicates this framework is suitable for developing matched pair agents for non-invasive in vivo PET imaging and radiotherapy of tumors with 72,77As. This is the first reported chelate developed for NCA radioarsenic and studies are underway for developing a trithiol bifunctional chelate conjugated to a targeting vector, such as a peptide or monoclonal antibody.

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A simple column chromatographic method was developed to isolate 77As (94 ± 6% (EtOH/HCl); 74 ± 11 (MeOH)) from germanium for potential use in radioimmunotherapy. The separation of arsenic from germanium was based on their relative affinities for different chromatographic materials in aqueous and organic environments. Using an organic or mixed mobile phase, germanium was selectively retained on a silica gel column as germanate, while arsenic was eluted from the column as arsenate. Subsequently, enriched 76Ge (98 ± 2) was recovered for reuse by elution with aqueous solution (neutral to basic). Greater than 98% radiolabeling yield of a 77As-trithiol was observed from methanol separated [77As]arsenate [17].

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