Cyclotron production of 67Ga using electroplated 68Zn targets on gold and gold-coated aluminum backings
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Gallium-67 remains a relevant radionuclide for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and radiopharmaceutical development as a longer-lived 68 Ga surrogate. In this work, the use of gold and gold-coated aluminum backings was evaluated for the cyclotron-based production of this radionuclide via the 68 Zn(p,2n) 67 Ga nuclear reaction. Using such targets, activities of 2.1–2.6 GBq were achieved for irradiation times of 120–150 min at end of proton bombardment, corresponding to saturation yields of 2900–3800 MBq/μA. A radiochemical separation based on two chromatographic resins, combined with an anion-exchange step, was evaluated to recover over 70 % of the [ 67 Ga]GaCl 3 in 0.5 mL. Radionuclidic purity exceeded 98 % at end of purification and increased with time due to the decay of the shorter-lived 66 Ga. Trace metal analysis and test radiolabelling with NOTA confirmed apparent molar activities between 13 and 70 GBq/μmol, depending on the purification scheme. The suitability of the produced [ 67 Ga]GaCl 3 for radiopharmaceutical applications was further validated by the successful synthesis of six 67 Ga-labelled radioligands, namely [ 67 Ga]Ga-PSMA-11, [ 67 Ga]Ga-PSMA-I&T, [ 67 Ga]Ga-FAPI-46, [ 67 Ga]Ga-FAP-2286, [ 67 Ga]Ga-DOTA-TATE, and [ 67 Ga]Ga-DPI-4452. Gold-coated aluminum backings demonstrated good irradiation stability, although further optimization is required to improve reusability.
Source: Applied Radiation and Isotopes
Language: English
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,220
OpenAlex ID: W7146946870