Separation of Protactinium Employing Sulfur-Based Extraction Chromatographic Resins

Tara Mastren, Benjamin W. Stein, T. Gannon Parker, Valery Radchenko, Roy Copping, Allison Owens, Lance E. Wyant, Mark Brugh, Stosh A. Kozimor, F. Meiring Nortier, Eva R. Birnbaum, Kevin D. John, Michael E. Fassbender

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23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Protactinium-230 (t1/2 = 17.4 d) is the parent isotope of 230U (t1/2 = 20.8 d), a radionuclide of interest for targeted alpha therapy (TAT). Column chromatographic methods have been developed to separate no-carrier-added 230Pa from proton irradiated thorium targets and accompanying fission products. Results reported within demonstrate the use of novel sulfur bearing chromatographic extraction resins for the selective separation of protactinium. The recovery yield of 230Pa was 93 ± 4% employing a R3P=S type commercially available resin and 88 ± 4% employing a DGTA (diglycothioamide) containing custom synthesized extraction chromatographic resin. The radiochemical purity of the recovered 230Pa was measured via high purity germanium γ-ray spectroscopy to be >99.5% with the remaining radioactive contaminant being 95Nb due to its similar chemistry to protactinium. Measured equilibrium distribution coefficients for protactinium, thorium, uranium, niobium, radium, and actinium on both the R3P=S type and the DGTA resin in hydrochloric acid media are reported, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7012-7017
Number of pages6
JournalAnalytical Chemistry
Volume90
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 5 2018

Funding

We gratefully recognize the United States Department of Energy, Office of Science, Isotope Development and Production for Research and Applications subprogram within the Office of Nuclear Physics (Grant FOA LAB 14-1099). B.W.S. gratefully acknowledges the support of the LANL Seaborg Institute for a Postdoctoral fellowship. Thanks to Dr. Steffen Happel from Triskem International for providing samples of CL resin.

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