Production of the Positron-Emitting Radionuclide 45Ti Via 45Sc(d, 2n)Reaction

Abstract

The positron-emitting radionuclide ⁴⁵Ti (half life, T_1/2 = 3.08 h, Ι_β⁺= 84.80%, Ε_β⁺ave = 438.93 keV ) has recently attracted considerable attention for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging applications. Although the ⁴⁵Sc(p, n)⁴⁵Ti reaction is commonly employed for its production using medical proton cyclotrons, the ⁴⁵Sc(d, 2n)⁴⁵Ti reaction offers a promising alternative route with a comparatively low-energy production window and reduced radioactive impurities. However, the available nuclear data for this reaction remain limited. In the present study, the excitation function of the ⁴⁵Sc(d, 2n)⁴⁵Ti reaction was theoretically investigated up to 25 MeV deuteron energy using the TALYS-2.2 code. Six different nuclear level density models were employed, and the most suitable model, GSM, was identified through statistical, F, D and R-factor analyses by comparison with available experimental data stored on the EXFOR database and the TENDL-2025 evaluation. A ⁴⁵Sc target of 8 mm X 8 mm area and thickness 250 μm was irradiated with a 177 nA deuteron beam for 30 min, followed by 1 h cooling. The calculated maximum reaction cross-section was 262.28 mb at approximately 16.30 MeV. Under the selected irradiation conditions, the estimated activity reached about 150 MBq at the end of bombardment (EOB) and decreased to nearly 120 MBq after 1 h cooling. The obtained results confirmed that the ⁴⁵Sc(d, 2n)⁴⁵Ti reaction is viable and low-window highly economical route for high-yield production of 45Ti for PET-based targeted tumour and cancer imaging applications.

Ban. J. Med. Phys., Vol -17, Issue -1, 2026 : 101-111