Experimental cross sections and production feasibility of 61Cu via 59Co(, 2n) for PET imaging using medium-energy alpha beams

The radionuclide 61Cu is a promising positron emitter for PET imaging. We investigated its production via the 59Co(α, 2n)61Cu reaction in the energy range 14–59 MeV using the stacked-foil technique. Excitation functions for 61Cu and co-produced radionuclides (60Cu, 56--58,60,61Co, 59Fe, 54Mn) were measured by HPGe γ-spectrometry and compared with TALYS 1.96 predictions and previous datasets. Thick Target Yields (TTY) and radionuclidic purity (RNP) were calculated for different irradiation conditions. Results show that high-yield and high-purity 61Cu production is achievable at 45 MeV on a 226μm thick Co target (TTYEOB ≈ 840 MBq μA\protect \relax \special {t4ht=−}1, RNP >99.9% after 3 h irradiation and 3.4 h waiting time) and feasible with emerging 30 MeV α-accelerators using a 76μm thick Co target (TTYEOB ≈ 420 MBq μA\protect \relax \special {t4ht=−}1, RNP > 99.9% after 3 h irradiation and 1.8 h waiting time). These findings support cost-effective production using inexpensive cobalt targets, reducing reliance on enriched materials. Practical implications for routine supply and synergy with α-accelerators designed for 211At are discussed.