Astatine-211 is an interesting isotope for targeted alpha therapy (TAT) cancer research given its short half-life and simple decay pathway. It is most often produced via the 209Bi(α,2n)211At using a 28.8 MeV alpha beam, which limits the number of potential production facilities to those with a sufficiently energetic and intense alpha beam. The Texas A&M Cyclotron Institute has recently joined the DOE Isotope Program’s University Isotope Network, the goal of which is to develop production of this important isotope throughout the country. In order to maximize the production of astatine, it is important that the bismuth targets are optimized for production and well characterized. Astatine-211 is only formed in the first 70 μm of the bismuth, so reducing excess bismuth in beam should significantly help with both the production and separation of astatine. Building on target-making methods from other institutions, Texas A&M has produced and analyzed targets made via several different methods to study the consistency and durability of the targets.

Advancements in Bi targetry for 211at production

ACS Fall 2021

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