Optimized procedures for manganese-52: Production, separation and radiolabeling

Pressed chromium-powder cyclotron targets were irradiated with 16MeV protons, producing ⁵²Mn with average yields of 6.2±0.8MBq/µAh. Separation by solid-phase anion exchange from ethanol-HCl mixtures recovered 94.3±1.7% of ⁵²Mn and reduced the chromium content by a factor of 2.2±0.4×10⁵. An additional AG 1-X8 column was used to remove copper, iron, cobalt and zinc impurities from the prepared ⁵²Mn in 8M HCl. The macrocyclic chelator DOTA was rapidly radiolabeled with ⁵²Mn in aq. ammonium acetate (pH 7.5R.T.) with a radiochemical yield >99% within 1min and was stable for >2 days in bovine serum. The improved separation and purification methodology facilitates the use of ⁵²Mn in basic science and preclinical investigations.