Ascorbic acid as an eluent for99mTc in99Mo−99mTc generator system

Abstract

A simple chromatographic procedure for clean separation of the important radionuclide, 99mTc, in the equilibrium mixture, 99Mo--99mWc, has been demonstrated. Separation of pure 99mTc has been achieved by preferential extraction of the radioisotope through an anion exchange resin column of Amberlite IRA-410 using Na-ascorbate solution at pH 7 as an el uent. The radiochemical purity of the separated radiotracer has been verified by taking recourse to T-ray spectrometry. The potentiality of the developed procedure lies in the facts that the eluting agent, ascorbic acid, itself has got its own biomedical importance as Vitamin C and the concerned radioisotope can be obtained in both Tc(IV) and Tc(VII) states as per requirement for diagnostic purposes.

27 Radiochemistry

“…The mechanism whereby 14 C can be separated from the aluminium nitride in which it has been made by thermal neutron bombardment has been studied 8 as a function of temperature and oxygen pressure. A novel technique for separating radioactive 24 Na from stable 23 Na has been devised 9 using laser irradiation and a drift trap, whilst straightforward adsorption procedures suf¢ced 10 to separate 54 Mn from iron following neutron irradiation of 54 Fe(n,p) 54 Mn. By far the most common method of isotope production is by means of some sort of generator from which the required isotope can be drawn off as and when required.…”

“…17 Subsequent puri¢cation of the technetium eluate can be achieved by the use of ethyl methyl ketone 23 or by chromatography using Amberlite IRA-410 resin. 24 The origin of the 99 Mo (either from 235 U ¢ssion or neutron irradiation of natural molybdenum) to be used in these generators is also the subject of continued research. 25 A different route altogether 26 is to make 99 MoO 3 by the gamma irradiation of 100 Mo followed by oxidation and then, to remove the daughter 99m Tc, by the sublimation of technetium mono-and di-oxides.…”