Isotope applications

Isotopes for nuclear medicine

Enriched stable isotopes are the starting material (targets) for producing medical radionuclides in reactors and cyclotrons. Target enrichment determines the yield and radionuclidic purity of the product.

Isotopes for this field

IsotopeElementEnrichment, at.%Application
⁹⁸MoMolybdenum97.90target for reactor production of molybdenum-99 → technetium-99m, the most widely used diagnostic radionuclide
¹⁰⁰MoMolybdenum94.30direct cyclotron production of technetium-99m and accelerator production of molybdenum-99; double beta decay searches (CUPID-Mo, AMoRE)
⁶⁴NiNickel96.10target for copper-64 production — a radionuclide for PET imaging and therapy
⁶⁴ZnZinc99.40target for copper-64 production (PET)
⁶⁸ZnZinc98.90target for gallium-67, gallium-68 and copper-67 production (diagnostics and therapy)
⁷⁰ZnZinc74.60beam for superheavy element synthesis (copernicium), target for copper-67, tracer
⁶⁹GaGallium99.90target for germanium-68 production — the parent of gallium-68 generators (PET)
⁴⁴CaCalcium99.40tracer in calcium metabolism studies; target for scandium-44 production (PET)
⁴⁶CaCalcium25.60target for calcium-47 / scandium-47 production
⁴⁷TiTitanium96.10target for scandium-47 production (radiopharmaceuticals)
⁷⁶SeSelenium81.80target for bromine-76 production (PET), nutrition tracer
⁸⁶SrStrontium96.90target for yttrium-86 production (PET), isotope dilution in geochemistry
⁸⁸SrStrontium99.97target for strontium-89 production (treatment of bone metastases), optical clocks
⁸⁵RbRubidium99.70target for strontium-82 production (rubidium-82 generators for cardiac PET), atomic magnetometers
¹⁰²PdPalladium99.20target for palladium-103 production (prostate cancer brachytherapy)
¹¹⁰PdPalladium99.70target for silver-111 production (radionuclide therapy)
¹¹¹CdCadmium98.20target for indium-111 production (SPECT imaging), NMR
¹¹²CdCadmium99.00target for indium-111 production (SPECT imaging)
¹²³TeTellurium78.20target for iodine-123 production (SPECT imaging of the thyroid and brain)
¹²⁴TeTellurium94.30target for iodine-124 (PET) and iodine-123 production
¹³⁰TeTellurium99.80target for iodine-131 production (thyroid therapy); double beta decay searches (CUORE, SNO+)
¹³⁰BaBarium60.70target for caesium-131 production (brachytherapy), double electron capture research
¹⁵²SmSamarium99.00target for samarium-153 production (pain relief in bone metastases)
¹⁶⁰GdGadolinium98.40target for terbium-161 production (radionuclide therapy), double beta decay searches
¹⁶⁴DyDysprosium98.60target for dysprosium-165 and holmium-166 production (radiosynovectomy, therapy), dipolar quantum gases
¹⁶⁸ErErbium99.00target for erbium-169 production (radiosynovectomy)
¹⁶⁸YbYtterbium44.70target for ytterbium-169 production (brachytherapy, gamma radiography)
¹⁷⁶YbYtterbium97.30target for no-carrier-added lutetium-177 production (therapy of prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumours)
¹⁷⁶LuLutetium88.20target for reactor production of lutetium-177 (radionuclide therapy), geochronology (Lu–Hf method)
¹⁸⁶WTungsten98.20target for tungsten-188 production — the parent of rhenium-188 generators (radionuclide therapy)
¹⁸⁵ReRhenium97.80target for rhenium-186 production (bone metastasis pain relief, radiosynovectomy)
¹⁸⁷ReRhenium99.60target for rhenium-188 production (therapy), geochronology (Re–Os method)
²⁰³TlThallium98.25target for thallium-201 production (myocardial perfusion imaging) and thallium-204 (beta sources for thickness gauges)
⁵⁰CrChromium97.90target for chromium-51 production (red blood cell labelling, calibration sources for neutrino detectors)
¹⁴⁸NdNeodymium97.80target for promethium-149 production (radionuclide therapy)

Reference information on typical applications. Enrichment is given according to the producer’s specification. Please confirm the suitability of the isotope for your task (enrichment, chemical form, quantity) in your request. Export of isotope products is subject to export control requirements.

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