New Production Routes for Medical Isotopes⁶⁴Cu and⁶⁷Cu Using Accelerator Neutrons

Abstract

We have measured the activation cross sections producing 64Cu and 67Cu, promising medical radioisotopes for molecular imaging and radioimmunotherapy, by bombarding a natural zinc sample with 14 MeV neutrons. We estimated the production yields of 64Cu and 67Cu by fast neutrons from \text{natC(\(d\),\(n\)) with 40 MeV 5 mA deuterons. We used the present result together with the evaluated cross section of Zn isotopes. The calculated 64Cu yield is 1.8 TBq (175 g 64Zn) for 12 h of irradiation; the yields of 67Cu by 67Zn(\(n\),\(p\))67Cu and 68Zn(\(n\),\(x\))67Cu were 249 GBq (184 g 67Zn) and 287 GBq (186 g 68Zn) at the end of 2 days of irradiation, respectively. From the results, we proposed a new route to produce 67Cu with very little radionuclide impurity via the 68Zn(\(n\),\(x\))67Cu reaction, and showed the 64Zn(\(n\),\(p\))64Cu reaction to be a promising route to produce 64Cu. Both 67Cu and 64Cu are noted to be produced using fast neutrons.