Affiliations: [a] ENEA – Italian National Institute of Ionizing Radiation Metrology (INMRI), Casaccia R.C., Via Anguillarese 301, I-00123 Rome, Italy. E-mail: marco.capogni@enea.it | [b] ENEA – Nuclear Material characterization Laboratory and Nuclear Waste Management (NMLNWM), Casaccia R.C., Via Anguillarese 301, I-00123 Rome, Italy. E-mail: mauro.capone@enea.it | [c] University of Rome “La Sapienza” – Department of Physics, P.le Aldo Moro 2, I-00185, Rome, Italy | [d] Albert Einstein Center for Fundamental Physics, University of Bern, Sidlestrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland | [e] Advanced Center Oncology Macerata (A.C.O.M.) Srl, Località Cavallino, 39/A-B, 62010 Montecosaro (MC), Italy | [f] ENEA – Department of Fusion and Technologies for Nuclear Safety and Security (FSN), Frascati R.C., Via E. Fermi 45 Frascati (Rome), Italy. E-mail: antonino.pietropaolo@enea.it
Abstract: 64Cu is an emerging radionuclide of great interest in personalized nuclear medicine. It is produced by a cyclotron via the reaction 64Ni(p,n)64Cu. This production method increased during the last decades, because small biomedical cyclotrons can be easily installed close to the nuclear medicine department of a hospital. As a matter of fact, 64Ni is a very expensive target material. For this reason, an alternative 64Cu production method was investigated at ENEA by using the quasi-monochromatic 14 MeV fusion neutron beam made available at the Frascati Neutron Generator (FNG) located at the ENEA – Frascati Research Center. In particular, two nuclear reactions were studied: 65Cu(n,2n)64Cu and 64Zn(n,p)64Cu. The radiochemical analysis of the activated samples was performed at the ENEA-NMLNWM laboratory located in ENEA-Casaccia Research Center. The activity measurements were carried out at the ENEA-INMRI, located in the ENEA-Casaccia Research Center, with high metrological level conditions and by assuring their traceability to the 64Cu primary activity standard here developed and maintained. A prediction of the 64Cu production by means of the high-brilliance 14 MeV neutron source named Sorgentina is also discussed.
Keywords: 64Cu, fast neutrons, radiopharmaceuticals, direct activity measurements
