Targetry coupled separations

A method of manufacturing 177Lu radioisotope comprised of:

• preparing an enriched dry 176Yb oxide source material within a pressurized containment vessel;
• irradiating the 176Yb oxide containing source with neutrons at suitable neutron flux density to achieve reaction of 176Yb to 177Yb via the reaction 176Yb(n,γ)177Yb will decay to 177Lu by the reaction 177Yb→177Lu+β− with half-life of 1.91 h;
• injecting the pressurized containment vessel containing the irradiated 176Yb oxide source with supercritical carbon dioxide containing a ligand that selectively forms a metal complex with the lutetium but does not form a metal complex with the ytterbium, thereby forming a supercritical carbon dioxide mixture containing an amount of lutetium metal complexes;
• removing the supercritical carbon dioxide mixture containing an amount of lutetium metal complexes;
• and
• separating at least some of the radionuclide lutetium complexes from the supercritical carbon dioxide mixture to provide a 177Lu rich separation fraction.

A method of manufacturing 67Cu radioisotope comprised of:

• packing an enriched 70Zn oxide source material in an appropriate a cavity within an irradiation target box;
• irradiating the 70Zn source with 15-20 MeV of deuterons), yielding 67Cu via the reaction 70Zn(p,α)67Cu with estimated cross-sections of 67Cu formation of 15-27 mb;
• contacting the 70Zn oxide target with supercritical carbon dioxide containing a ligand that selectively forms a metal complex with the copper but does not form a metal complex with the zinc oxide, thereby forming a supercritical carbon dioxide mixture containing an amount of radionuclide metal complexes;
• separating at least some of the radionuclide metal complexes from the combined radionuclide and supercritical carbon dioxide mixture;
• separating the radionuclide from the combined radionuclide and supercritical carbon dioxide mixture;
• and
• purifying the 67Cu radionuclide.