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Targeted α-therapy (TAT) can eradicate tumor metastases while limiting overall toxicity. One of the most promising α-particle emitters is astatine-211 (211At). However, 211At-carbon bonds are notoriously unstable in vivo and no chelators are available. This hampers its adoption in TAT. In this study, the stability of 211At on the surface of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was investigated. The employed AuNPs had sizes in the 25–50 nm range. Radiolabeling by non-specific surface-adsorption in >99% radiochemical yield was achieved by mixing 211At and AuNPs both before and after polyethylene glycol (PEG) coating. The resulting 211At-AuNPs were first challenged by harsh oxidation with sodium hypochlorite, removing roughly 50% of the attached 211At. Second, incubation in mouse serum followed by a customized stability test, showed a stability of >95% after 4 h in serum. This high stability was further confirmed in an in vivo study, with comparison to a control group of free 211At. The AuNP-associated 211At showed low uptake in stomach and thyroid, which are hallmark organs of uptake of free 211At, combined with long circulation and high liver and spleen uptake, consistent with nanoparticle biodistribution. These results support that gold surface-adsorbed 211At has high biological stability and is a potentially useful delivery system in TAT.

In the past decade, several developments have expanded the chemical toolbox for astatination and the preparation of 211At‐labeled radiopharmaceuticals. However, there is still a need for advanced methods for the synthesis of astatinated (bio)molecules to address challenges such as limited in vivo stability. Herein, we report the development of multifunctional 211At‐labeled reagents that can be prepared by applying a modular and versatile click approach for rapid assembly. The introduction of tetrazines as bioorthogonal tags enables rapid radiolabeling and radio‐crosslinking, which is demonstrated by steric shielding of 211At to significantly increase label stability in human blood plasma., Clicking astatine: Three‐component copper‐catalyzed click‐assembly was used for the synthesis of a variety of compounds labeled with the α‐particle emitter astatine‐211. This approach enabled the preparation of 211At‐labeled tetrazines as clickable tools that can be applied for bioorthogonal radiolabeling and radio‐crosslinking, which has been used to significantly increase the stability of radiolabeled particles in human blood plasma.

Antibodies labeled with alpha-emitter astatine-211 have previously shown effective in intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatments of ovarian cancer. In the present work we explore the use of investigational farletuzumab, aimed at the folate receptor alpha. The aim was to evaluate the biodistribution and therapeutic effect ofFor biodistribution, using intravenous injections and mice carrying subcutaneous (s.c.) tumors, the animals were administered eitherThe biodistribution ofThe current investigation of intraperitoneal therapy with

Targeted alpha therapy of disseminated cancer is an emerging technique where astatine-211 is one of the most promising candidate nuclides. Although astatine has been known for over 70 years, its chemistry is still largely unexplored, mainly due to the lack of stable or long-lived isotopes. However, substantial amounts of astatine-211 can be produced in cyclotrons by the bombardment of natural bismuth. The astatine can be recovered from the resulting irradiated target material through either wet extraction or dry-distillation. Chloroform has become an important intermediate solvent for the recovery of astatine after production, especially following dry distillation. In this work, the radiochemistry of astatine in chloroform was investigated using evaporation, solvent extraction, chromatographic methods and molecular modeling. The extraction of astatine in chloroform led to the formation of multiple astatine species, allowing for evaporation of the solvent to dryness without any loss of activity. Radiolysis products of chloroform were shown to play an important role in the speciation of astatine forming both reactive and kinetically stable compounds. It was hypothesized that reactions with chlorine, as well as trichloromethyl hydroperoxide, forming polar astatine compounds are important reactions under the current experimental conditions.

The two organic ligands 6,6′-bis(5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzo[1,2,4]triazin-3-yl)[2,2′]bipyridine (CyMe $$_{4}$$ -BTBP) and tri-butyl phosphate (TBP) have previously been investigated in different diluents for use within recycling of used nuclear fuel through solvent extraction. The thermodynamic parameters, $$K_{\mathrm{S}}$$ , $$\Delta C_{p}$$ , $$\Delta H^{0}$$ and $$\Delta S^{0}$$ , of the CyMe $$_{4}$$ -BTBP solubility in three diluents (cyclohexanone, octanol and phenyl trifluoromethyl sulfone) mixed with TBP have been studied at 288, 298 and 308 K, both as pristine solutions and pre-equilibrated with 4 mol $$\cdot $$ L $$^{-1}$$ nitric acid. In addition, the amount of acid in the organic phase and density change after pre-equilibration have been measured. The solubility of CyMe $$_{4}$$ -BTBP increases with an increased temperature in all systems, especially after acid pre-equilibration. This increased CyMe $$_{4}$$ -BTBP solubility after pre-equilibration could be explained by acid dissolution into the solvent. Comparing the $$\Delta H^{0}$$ and $$\Delta S^{0}$$ calculated using $$\Delta C_{p}$$ with the same parameters derived from a linear fit indicates temperature independence of all three thermodynamic systems. The change in enthalpy is positive in all solutions.

During a serious nuclear reactor accident a large fraction of the radioactive iodine in the fuel can escape from the core and subsequently from the plant. While the noble gases in reactor fuel are more mobile than iodine, the iodine is often of greater concern as its chemistry and biology causes it to be more radiotoxic. Iodine has the potential to be re-concentrated in vivo in the thyroid. Filters containing charcoals are used both under normal operating conditions and during emergencies to retain iodine species, they are used in environmental sampling to estimate radioactive iodine and in respiratory protection systems such as air purifying filter respirators. During a nuclear accident iodine can exist in many forms. As the formation of organic iodine compounds other than methyl iodide has been observed in nuclear plants it can be reasoned that a failure of a charcoal to retain other organoiodines than methyl iodide could have adverse consequences. In this paper, the ability of different charcoals to capture various forms of radioactive organic iodine compounds has been explored. Besides elemental iodine used as reference methyl, chloromethyl, ethyl and isopropyl iodides have been studied together with iodoacetylene.

Background The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy of two different activity levels of the 213Bi-labeled monoclonal antibody MX35 in an ovarian cancer model. Sixty female BALB/c (nu/nu) mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with human ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR-3). Two weeks later, 40 mice were injected intraperitoneal (i.p.) with 1 ml of 213Bi-MX35, 3 MBq/mL (n = 20), or 9 MBq/mL (n = 20). An additional 20 mice received unlabeled MX35. Incidence of tumors and ascites was investigated 8 weeks after therapy. Body weight and white blood cell counts were monitored after treatment for possible signs of toxicity. Results The tumor-free fraction of the animals treated with 3 MBq/mL of 213Bi-MX35 was 0.55, whereas that of animals treated with 9 MBq/mL of 213Bi-MX35 was 0.78. The control group treated with unlabeled MX35 had a tumor-free fraction of 0.15. No significant reduction in white blood cell counts or weight loss was observed. Conclusions Tumor growth after i.p. treatment with 213Bi-MX35 was significantly reduced compared to treatment with unlabeled MX35. Treatment with 9 MBq/mL of 213Bi-MX35 resulted in higher tumor-free fraction compared with 3 MBq/mL of 213Bi-MX35, but this difference was not statistically significant. No signs of toxicity were observed in the treated animals.

The use of nanobodies (Nbs) as vehicles in targeted alpha therapy (TAT) has gained great interest because of their excellent properties. They combine high in vivo affinity and specificity of binding with fast kinetics. This research investigates a novel targeted therapy that combines the α-particle emitter astatine-211 ( 211At) and the anti-HER2 Nb 2Rs15d to selectively target HER2+ cancer cells. Two distinctive radiochemical methodologies are investigated using three different coupling reagents. The first method uses the coupling reagents, N-succinimidyl 4-(1,2-bis-tert-butoxycarbonyl)guanidinomethyl-3-(trimethylstannyl)benzoate (Boc 2-SGMTB) and N-succinimidyl-3-(trimethylstannyl)benzoate (m-MeATE), which are both directed to amino groups on the Nb, resulting in random conjugation. The second method aims at obtaining a homogeneous tracer population, via a site-specific conjugation of the N-[2-(maleimido)ethyl]-3-(trimethylstannyl)benzamide (MSB) reagent onto the carboxyl-terminalcysteine of the Nb. The resulting radioconjugates are evaluated in vitro and in vivo. 2Rs15d is labeled with 211At using Boc 2-SGMTB, m-MeATE, and MSB. After astatination and purification, the binding specificity of the radioconjugates is validated on HER2+ cells, followed by an in vivo biodistribution assessment in SKOV-3 xenografted mice. α-camera imaging is performed to determine uptake and activity distribution in kidneys/tumors. 2Rs15d astatination resulted in a high radiochemical purity >95% for all radioconjugates. The biodistribution studies of all radioconjugates revealed comparable tumor uptake (higher than 8% ID/g at 1 h). [ 211At]SAGMB-2Rs15d showed minor uptake in normal tissues. Only in the kidneys, a higher uptake was measured after 1 h, but decreased rapidly after 3 h. Astatinated Nbs consisting of m-MeATE or MSB reagents revealed elevated uptake in lungs and stomach, indicating the presence of released 211At. α-Camera imaging of tumors revealed a homogeneous activity distribution. The radioactivity in the kidneys was initially concentrated in the renal cortex, while after 3 h most radioactivity was measured in the medulla, confirming the fast washout into urine. Changing the reagents for Nb astatination resulted in different in vivo biodistribution profiles, while keeping the targeting moiety identical. Boc 2-SGMTB is the preferred reagent for Nb astatination because of its high tumor uptake, its low background signals, and its fast renal excretion. We envision [ 211At]SAGMB-2Rs15d to be a promising therapeutic agent for TAT and aim toward efficacy evaluation.

Introduction Antibodies labeled with alpha-emitter astatine-211 have previously shown effective in intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatments of ovarian cancer. In the present work we explore the use of investigational farletuzumab, aimed at the folate receptor alpha. The aim was to evaluate the biodistribution and therapeutic effect of 211At-farletuzumab in in-vitro and in-vivo experiments and, using models for radiation dosimetry, to translate the findings to expected clinical result. The activity concentration used for therapy in mice (170 kBq/mL) was chosen to be in agreement with an activity concentration that is anticipated to be clinically relevant in patients (200 MBq/L). Methods For biodistribution, using intravenous injections and mice carrying subcutaneous (s.c.) tumors, the animals were administered either 211At-farletuzumab (n = 16); or with a combination of 125I-farletuzumab and 211At-MX35 (n = 12). At 1, 3, 10 and 22 h, mice were euthanized and s.c.-tumors and organs weighted and measured for radioactivity. To evaluate therapeutic efficacy, mice were inoculated i.p. with 2 × 106 NIH:OVCAR-3 cells. Twelve days later, the treatments were initiated by i.p.-administration. Specific treatment was given by 211At-labeled farletuzumab (group A; n = 22, 170 kBq/mL) which is specific for OVCAR-3 cells. Control treatments were given by either 211At-labeled rituximab which is unspecific for OVCAR-3 (group B; n = 22, 170 kBq/mL), non-radiolabeled farletuzumab (group C; n = 11) or PBS only (group D; n = 8). Results The biodistribution of 211At-farletuzumab was similar to that with 125I as radiolabel, and also to that of 211At-labeled MX35 antibody. The tumor-free fraction (TFF) of the three control groups were all low (PBS 12%, unlabeled specific farletuzumab 9% and unspecific 211At-rituximab 14%). TFF following treatment with 211At-farletuzumab was 91%. Conclusion The current investigation of intraperitoneal therapy with 211At-farletuzumab, delivered at clinically relevant 211At-mAb radioactivity concentrations and specific activities, showed a 6 to 10-fold increase (treated versus controls) in antitumor efficacy. This observation warrants further clinical testing.

Effective treatment of metastasis is a great challenge in the treatment of different types of cancers. Targeted alpha therapy utilizes the short tissue range (50-100 μm) of α particles, making the method suitable for treatment of disseminated occult cancers in the form of microtumors or even single cancer cells. A promising radioactive nuclide for this type of therapy is astatine-211. Astatine-211 attached to tumor-specific antibodies as carrier molecules is a system currently under investigation for use in targeted alpha therapy. In the common radiolabeling procedure, astatine is coupled to the antibody arbitrarily on lysine residues. By instead coupling astatine to disulfide bridges in the antibody structure, the immunoreactivity of the antibody conjugates could possibly be increased. Here, the disulfide-based conjugation was performed using a new coupling reagent, maleimidoethyl 3-(trimethylstannyl)benzamide (MSB), and evaluated for chemical stability in vitro. The immunoconjugates were subsequently astatinated, resulting in both high radiochemical yield and high specific activity. The MSB-conjugate was shown to be stable with a long shelf life prior to the astatination. In a comparison of the in vivo distribution of the new immunoconjugate with other tin-based immunoconjugates in tumor-bearing mice, the MSB conjugation method was found to be a viable option for successful astatine labeling of different monoclonal antibodies.

Nitride fuels have been regarded as one viable fuel option for Generation IV reactors due to their positive features compared to oxides. To be able to close the fuel cycle and follow the Generation IV concept, nitrides must, however, demonstrate their ability to be reprocessed. This means that the dissolution performance of actinide based nitrides has to be thoroughly investigated and assessed. As the zirconium stabilized nitrides show even better potential as fuel material than does the pure actinide containing nitrides, investigations on the dissolution behavior of both PuN and (Pu,Zr)N has been undertaken. If possible it is desirable to perform the fuel dissolutions using nitric acid. This, as most reprocessing strategies using solvent-solvent extraction are based on a nitride containing aqueous matrix. (Pu,Zr)N/C microspheres were produced using internal gelation. The spheres dissolution performance was investigated using nitric acid with and without additions of HF and Ag(II). In addition PuN fuel pellets were produced from powder and their dissolution performance were also assessed in a nitric acid based setting.

Several solvents for Grouped ActiNide EXtraction (GANEX) processes have been investigated at Chalmers University of Technology in recent years. Four different GANEX solvents; cyclo-GANEX (CyMe4- -BTBP, 30 vol.% tri-butyl phosphate (TBP) and cyclohexanone), DEHBA-GANEX (CyMe4-BTBP, 20 vol.% N,N-di-2(ethylhexyl) butyramide (DEHBA) and cyclohexanone), hexanol-GANEX (CyMe4-BTBP, 30 vol.% TBP and hexanol) and FS-13-GANEX (CyMe4-BTBP, 30 vol.% TBP and phenyl trifluoromethyl sulfone (FS-13)) have been studied and the results are discussed and compared in this work. The cyclohexanone based solvents show fast and high extraction of the actinides but a somewhat poor diluent stability in contact with the acidic aqueous phase. FS-13-GANEX display high separation factors between the actinides and lanthanides and a good radiolytic and hydrolytic stability. However, the distribution ratios of the actinides are lower, compared to the cyclohexanone based solvents. The hexanol-GANEX is a cheap solvent system using a rather stable diluent but the actinide extraction is, however, comparatively low.

The grouped actinide extraction (GANEX) process combines two extractants CyMe4-BTBP and TBP in a diluent, in this study phenyl trifluoromethyl sulfone (FS-13). The extraction of U-235, Np-239, Pu-238, Am-241, Cm-244 and Eu-152 has been investigated in four different systems. System 1: 70 %vol FS-13, 30 %vol TBP and 10 mM CyMe4-BTBP, system 2: 70 %vol FS-13 and 30 %vol TBP, system 3: 100 %vol FS-13 and 10 mM CyMe4-BTBP and system 4: pure FS-13. In all cases 4 M HNO3 was used as aqueous phase. In system 1 all actinides were extracted and separated from the lanthanides. In both system 2 and 3 mainly U and Pu were extracted. In system 4 none of the metals were extracted.

In this work a new coupling reagent, N-[2-(maleimido)ethyl]-3-(trimethylstannyl)benzamide, for radiohalogenation has been synthesized and characterized. The reagent is intended to either be attached to reduced disulfide bridges of proteins (making the halogenation site-specific) or to free terminal cysteine groups on peptides. The new reagent was also shown to be easily halogenated with inactive bromine and iodine as well as (125)I and (211)At, indicating potential use within targeted radiotherapy.

In this work a solvent comprising of tri-butyl phosphate and bis-triazinyl, bi-pyridine in cyclohexanone has been used in a single centrifugal contactor test to evaluate its GANEX process potential. It was found that the density of the aqueous phase had to be increased to facilitate phase separation in the centrifuge. The kinetics of the system was also found to be relatively slow in the equipment of choice, especially regarding the stripping. However, it was still possible to recover more than 87% of all actinides in one extraction step with minor fission product contaminations using a flowrate of 30 mL/h.

In this work, stability experiments have been performed on a phenyl trifluoromethyl sulfone based solvent containing 6,6'-bis(5,6-dialkyl-[1,2,4-]triazin-3-yl)-2,2'-bipyridine and tri-butyl phosphate. This solvent is intended to be used in a grouped actinide extraction process for partitioning and transmutation purposes. The distribution ratio for americium was determined to approximately 20 and for europium approximately 0.26 giving a separation factor of 77. The solvent maintain good distribution ratios and separation factors during both gamma irradiation of 6.6 kGy h(-1) for up to 24 h and acid contact for up to 6 weeks at room temperature.

Targeted alpha therapy is especially interesting for therapy of microscopic cancer tumors due to short path length and high linear energy transfer of the alpha particles. One of the most promising nuclides for targeted alpha therapy is At-211. To facilitate larger clinical studies using At-211, the current manual synthesis of radiolabeled antibodies would benefit from being transferred into an automated method. In this work, successful modifications of the manual synthesis have been performed in order to adapt it to automation. The automatic synthesis has also been tested using the modified synthesis method.

The thermodynamic parameters (ln KEx, ΔH0 and ΔS0) for the extractions of americium and europium using CyMe4-BTBP in three various diluents (cyclohexanone, hexanol and nitrobenzene) have been studied. The stoichiometry of the complexes was obtained by slope analysis of the distribution ratios of the metals as a function of the ligand concentration. The influence on temperature on the americium/europium separation was investigated for process development causes. In cyclohexanone it was shown that the stability of the (1:2) complex is stronger in the americium case than in the europium case where the (1:1) seems to dominate. Similarly; the 1:2 complex are more dominant in the case of americium compared to in the europium complex in hexanol as well. In nitrobenzene both the metals form 1:1 complexes. The extractions of both the nuclides in the three diluents are exothermic. However, since the europium complexes in hexanol and cyclohexanone were shown to contain both 1:1 and 1:2 complexes no further evaluation of those two systems in particular could be made. The enthalpy for the nitrobenzene system differs radically compared to the two others, having a more prominent decrease in ΔH 0 (for example View the MathML source = −44 ± 6.2 (kJ · mol−1) in nitrobenzene compared to View the MathML source = −19 ± 1.1 (kJ · mol−1) in hexanol). In the entropies of the system no differences is seen when comparing the diluents cyclohexanone and hexanol, however, there is a difference in ΔS0 between the two and nitrobenzene, were the change in entropy is negative in the nitrobenzene system and positive in the other two diluents. In addition, it was shown that the temperature affected the separation factor of americium from europium. The separation factors decreases in all the three systems as the temperature increases. This is of importance during process development purposes.

The rate of americium mass transfer between the aqueous and organic phase in a solvent extraction system has been investigated. The ligand used is CyMe4-BTBP and the diluents are long-chained alcohols. The results are compared with earlier reported data using C5-BTBP as ligand. In the C5-BTBP system the rate of the extraction could be correlated with the interfacial tension of the system, while not in the CyMe4-BTBP system. In the CyMe4-BTBP system a high (> 12) or low (< 9) dielectric constant of the diluent affects the equilibrium distribution ratio. Dielectric constants in between these two did not affect the extraction.

Used nuclear fuel is radiotoxic for mankind and its environment for a long time. However, if it can be transmuted, the radiotoxicity as well as its heat load are reduced. Before a transmutation the actinides within the used fuel need to be separated from the fission, corrosion and activation products. This separation can be achieved by using the liquid–liquid extraction technique. One extraction process that can be used for such a separation is the Group ActiNide EXtraction (GANEX) process. One GANEX process that can successfully accomplish the separation utilizes the diluent cyclohexanone in combination with the extractant tributylphosphate (TBP) (30 % vol) and a second extractant, CyMe4-BTBP (10 mM). However, there are some issues when using cyclohexanone as diluent. In this work an alternative diluent has therefore been tried in order to determine if it can replace cyclohexanone. The diluent used was hexanoic acid. In a system containing 10–12 mM CyMe4-BTBP and 30 % vol TBP in hexanoic acid with the aqueous phase 4 M HNO3, the distribution ratios for americium and curium are unfortunately low (D Am = 1.1 ± 0.27, D Cm = 1.6 ± 1.81). The concentration of CyMe4-BTBP ligand, the extractant of curium and americium, could unfortunately not be increased, because of limited solubility in hexanoic acid. The distribution ratios for fission, corrosion and activation products were low for most metals; however, cadmium, palladium and molybdenum all unfortunately have distributions ratios above 1. To conclude, low americium and curium extractions indicate that hexanoic acid is not a suitable diluent which could replace cyclohexanone in a GANEX process.

Two Group ActiNide EXtraction solvents for the extraction of actinides from used nuclear fuel for transmutation purpose have been compared. The solvent studied more precisely comprises cyclohexanone, tributylphosphate and a molecule from the bis-triazine bi-pyridine family, while the alternative utilizes di-ethyl-hexyl butyramide instead of tributylphospate. The focus of the comparison has been on the kinetics of the extraction of americium and europium, and the influence of an increased metal content on their separation factor. Both systems showed to maintain the equilibrium separation factor up to an europium concentration of 1 mM and their SFAm/Eu is decreased with a prolonged phase contact.

A Group ActiNide EXtraction (GANEX) separation system for transmutation has been developed, combining CyMe4-BTBP with TBP and cyclohexanone. This new GANEX solvent has proven efficient in actinide extraction but also been found to extract some undesired fission products and corrosion products. Three major fission products were primarily selected for the study: Mo, Zr, and Pd. There are three main strategies for handling the extraction problem, all of which have been investigated and discussed; these are Pre-extraction, Suppression, and Scrubbing. The only strategy that was found to control the behavior of all three main fission products was suppression by the combination of two water-soluble complexing agents bimet and mannitol.

The so called BTBP (bis-triazine bi-pyridine)-type molecules have been developed for liquid-liquid extraction in the advanced reprocessing of used nuclear fuel. One solvent composition that has proven to be promising for such an application is the combination of CyMe4-BTBP and tri-butyl phosphate (TBP) in cyclohexanone. This solvent can extract the actinides successfully but unfortunately some fission products are also co-extracted. One of the most problematic fission products is palladium, but silver and cadmium are also extracted by the proposed solvent, which has been investigated here. In this study it was found that CyMe4-BTBP in cyclohexanone, when extracting palladium from nitric acid, forms complexes that are soluble both in the organic and aqueous phase. The predominant complex observed in both phases established with mass spectrometry and confirmed by NMR is a 1:1 complex, contrary to silver that forms 2:2 complexes and cadmium that forms 1:2 complexes. The nitrate dependency of the palladium extraction from nitric acid into a BTBP containing organic phase was found to be two. However, with higher ionic strengths, such as under process conditions, the palladium was found to be salted out into the organic phase.

The separation of trivalent actinides from trivalent lanthanides present in used nuclear fuel can be achieved by using solvent extraction and the BTBP class of ligands. This separation is relevant for the advanced reprocessing of the used fuel. The choice of diluents in such BTBP based systems has shown to affect the extraction as well as the separation. Long chained alcohols have previously been investigated as such diluents, showing that the americium extraction is higher into alcohols having shorter chains (hexanol, and heptanol) than in longer chained ones (nonanol and decanol). In this work it is shown that not only the distribution ratio, but also the contact time needed before reaching extraction equilibrium is shorter when using shorter chain length of the alcohol diluent. It is also shown that the rate of extraction can be correlated to the interfacial tension between the diluent and the aqueous phase. A low interfacial tension gives a fast extraction while an extraction system with higher interfacial tension needs a longer time of phase contact in order to reach extraction equilibrium.

A newly developed method for advanced reprocessing of used nuclear fuel is the Group ActiNide EXtraction (GANEX) process. It is a liquid-liquid extraction process that aims at extracting all the actinides as a group from dissolved used nuclear fuel. This extraction can either be performed after a removal of the bulk uranium or directly on the dissolution liquor. At Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden a solvent that utilizes tributyl-phosphate (TBP) and a molecule from the bis-triazine bipyridine (BTBP) class of ligands dissolved in cyclohexanone has been developed for the use in a GANEX process. Previously the system has not been tested with the presence of technetium that is one of the major fission products. Technetium is often considered a problem within reprocessing since it has a chemical behaviour that differs from most other elements in the spent fuel. Therefore, a special emphasis was put on the investigation of technetium in the selected GANEX system. It was shown that technetium is readily extracted by the GANEX solvent and that cyclohexanone is the main extractant when no other metals were present in the system. It was also found that the presence of uranium decreased the overall technetium extraction despite a slight co-extraction with TBP, while irradiation of the GANEX solvent to large doses ([>1 MGy) increased its technetium extraction capability. It was also discovered that an increased nitrate concentration in the aqueous phase and an addition of other fission products both inhibited the technetium extraction even though fission product loading most likely changed the extraction mechanism to co-extraction by BTBP.

It has recently been reported that a cyclohexanone based solvent containing the extractant, CyMe4-BTBP (BisTriazine,BiPyridine) together with tri-butyl phosphate intended for use in a GANEX (Group Actinide Extraction) process also extracts the fission product palladium. When cyclohexanone was used as a diluent it was also observed that without any extractant present in the organic phase, palladium rapidly formed a fine black precipitate of metallic palladium. In this work, two water soluble complexing agents were identified and found to be able to stabilize the palladium in 1 M nitric acid, preventing it from precipitating, namely the amino acid methionine and its derivative (25,2'S)-4,4'-(ethane-12-diylbis(sulfanediyl))bis(2-aminobutanoic acid) (bimet). Of these two, however, only bimet could reliably prevent the precipitation of palladium from the process aqueous solution (4 M nitric acid) and stop its extraction by the organic solvent. It was also found that an addition of bimet to the aqueous phase did not alter the actinide extraction by the GANEX solvent, thus making it a feasible candidate for masking the palladium extraction in a future process.

Research focus within separation for transmutation in Europe today lies in the development of a solvent extraction separation process called GANEX (Group ActiNide EXtraction). In this type of process the actinides should be extracted as a group and separated from the lanthanides and the other fission and corrosion/activation products. One GANEX process has been developed combining the two extractants bis-triazine-bi-pyridine (BTBP) and tri-butyl phosphate (TBP) in cyclohexanone. In previous work the TBP has been successfully substituted with N,N-di-2-ethylhexylbutyramide (DEHBA). In this paper, this exchange has been further studied investigating also fission product extraction as well as hydrolytic and radiolytic stability and acid extraction.

Spent nuclear fuel contains many highly ra- dioactive species; hence solvents used in reprocessing will be subjected to radiolysis. In this study, solvents containing one of the BTBP molecules intended for the separation of trivalent actinides and lanthanides, the so called C5-BTBP, have been subjected to radiolysis and hydrolysis. We present here that this compound shows a dramatic decrease in both distribution ratios and separation factor when irradiated with higher doses up to 50 kGy; particularly in the presence of an aqueous phase. Furthermore, fast hydrolytic degradation is observed, which significantly contributes to the overall degree of decomposition. This is supported by speciation studies per- formed by HPLC and LC-MS methods. Proposed structures of the highest-yield degradation products are presented and they seem to confirm previously drawn structures for these products. From these studies it can be concluded that the presence of nitric acid or nitrate during irradiation leads to higher content of species containing keto groups.

In a solvent intended for use within group actinide extraction CyMe4-BTBP and TBP are combined together in cyclohexanone. After irradiating the solvent in acid contact a latency period before extraction reduced the extraction capability of plutonium. This reduction was larger when the solvent was kept in contact with the acid after irradiation. The decrease in plutonium extraction could be an effect of both a reduced extraction performance of CyMe4-BTBP caused by hydrolysis as well as a shift in oxidation state of the plutonium as it was shown that oxidizing Pu(IV) to Pu(VI) decreased the extraction by the solvent. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. .. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the Chairman of the ATALANTE 2012 Program Committee

The waste from nuclear power plants worldwide has to be isolated from man and his environment for about 100,000 years to equal the levels of natural uranium. If, however, the long-lived actinides could be separated from the spent fuel and transmuted, then the isolation time could be shortened to about 1,000 years. This does, however, require the selective separation of the actinides from the rest of the waste. Several processes exist for such a separation, of which one is the Group ActiNide Extraction (GANEX) process. A novel GANEX process has been developed at the Chalmers University of Technology utilizing the properties of already well known extractants by combining BTBP and TBP into one solvent. The stability provided by this GANEX solvent towards ageing, hydrolysis, and radiolysis has been investigated. The results show that the actinide distribution ratios are maintained after a long duration of contact with strong nitric acid. The solvent has also been found to be stable towards radiolysis up to 200 kGy in contact with 4 M nitric acid.

Hydrochemical separation processes are one of the methods used for the treatment of spent nuclear fuel. Solvent extraction is also used in many other non-nuclear applications like the mining industry. In the nuclear case, hydrochemical separation processes are already employed in the world today for the recovery of uranium and plutonium. The method is however also considered for future separation systems for use in combination with the transmutation of the minor actinides. In a hydrochemical separation process the two phases are the pregnant (usually) aqueous feed and the organic phase comprising a diluent together with one or more extractants. One such class of extractants developed for partitioning and transmutation purposes is the bis(triazine)-bipyridine-type (BTBP) molecules. When assessing the feasibility and loading properties of such an extraction system, the solubility of the ligands is of the outmost importance. The understanding of whether the dissolution is enthalpically or entropically driven will also help the understanding of the differences in extraction observed between various diluents and temperatures. In this paper the enthalpy and entropy of dissolution of the BTBP-class ligands have been determined for different diluents. It has also been shown that it is possible to predict the extraction behavior of these molecules in the selected diluent once the solubility is known.

A GANEX (Group ActiNide EXtraction) separation system for transmutation has been developed. In this separation process the actinides should be extracted as a group from the lanthanides and the fission and corrosion/activation products. This can be achieved by combining BTBP (bis-triazine-bipyridine) with TBP (tri-butyl phosphate) in cyclohexanone. From 4M nitric acid this organic system extracts the actinides (log(DAm) = 2.19, log(DPu) = 2.31, log(DU) = 1.03, log(DNp) = 0.53) and also separates them from the lanthanides (log(DLa) = -2.0, log(DCe) = -1.72, log(DNd) = -1.05, log(DSm) = -0.18, log(DEu) = -0.02). One problem encountered is that some of the fission and corrosion products are also extracted. The new system however still looks feasible.

To facilitate multicentre clinical studies on targeted alpha therapy, it is necessary to develop an automated, on-site procedure for conjugating rare, short-lived, alpha-emitting radionuclides to biomolecules. Astatine-211 is one of the few alpha-emitting nuclides with appropriate chemical and physical properties for use in targeted therapies for cancer. Due to the very short range of the emitted α-particles, this therapy is particularly suited to treating occult, disseminated cancers. Astatine is not intrinsically tumour-specific; therefore, it requires an appropriate tumour-specific targeting vector, which can guide the radiation to the cancer cells. Consequently, an appropriate method is required for coupling the nuclide to the vector. To increase the availability of astatine-211 radiopharmaceuticals for targeted alpha therapy, their production should be automated. Here, we present a method that combines dry distillation of astatine-211 and a synthesis module for producing radiopharmaceuticals into a process platform. This platform will standardize production of astatinated radiopharmaceuticals and hence, it will facilitate large clinical studies focused on this promising, but chemically challenging, alpha-emitting radionuclide. In this work, we describe the process platform and we demonstrate the production of both astaine-211, for preclinical use and astatine-211 labelled antibodies.

Astatine-211 is possibly the most promising radionuclide for targeted alpha-particle therapy when it comes to the treatment of occult disseminated cancer. Preclinical research has proven effective, and patient studies have been initiated based on these results. However, a lack of production capacity and the complex radiochemistry of At-211 are major obstacles for research and prospective clinical applications. In the present study, astatination of immunoconjugates, already prepared well in advance before radiolabeling, was performed to investigate the possibility of formulating a kit-like reagent for the production of At-211 radiopharmaceuticals. The shelf-life of e-lysyl-3-(trimethylstannyl)benzamide immunoconjugates was evaluated, that is, the effect of different storage times on the quality of the immunoconjugates. The quality being referred to is the capacity to maintain a good radiochemical yield and good cell-binding property after labeling with At-211. The stability of the conjugates was found to be pH dependent with high stability at pH >= 7 and less stability at pH

The aim of this preclinical study was to evaluate the characteristics of the monoclonal antibody Rebmab200, which is a humanized version of the ovarian-specific murine antibody MX35. This investigation contributes to the foundation for future clinical α-radioimmunotherapy of minimal residual ovarian cancer with 211At-Rebmab200. Here, the biodistribution of 211At-Rebmab200 was evaluated, as was the utility of 99mTc-Rebmab200 for bioimaging. Rebmab200 was directly compared with its murine counterpart MX35 in terms of its in-vitro capacity for binding the immobilized NaPi2B epitope and live cells; we also assessed its biodistribution in nude mice carrying subcutaneous OVCAR-3 tumors. Tumor antigen and cell binding were similar between Rebmab200 and murine MX35, as was biodistribution, including normal tissue uptake and in-vivo tumor binding. We also demonstrated that 99mTc-Rebmab200 can be used for single-photon emission computed tomography of subcutaneous ovarian carcinomas in tumor-bearing mice. Taken together, our data support the further development of Rebmab200 for radioimmunotherapy and diagnostics.

Separation of trivalent actinoid (An(III)) and lanthanoid (Ln(III)) ions is extremely challenging due to their similar ionic radii and chemical properties. Poly-aromatic nitrogen compounds acting as tetradentate chelating ligands to the metal ions in the extraction, have the ability to sufficiently separate An(III) from Ln(III). One of these compounds, 6,6'-bis(5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-benzol[1,2,4]triazin-3-yl)-[2,2]bipyridine, CyMe4-BTBP, has proven to be resistant towards acidic environments and strong radiation from radioactive decomposition. EXAFS studies of the dicomplexes of CyMe4-BTBP with americium(III) and europium(III) in nitrobenzene, cyclohexanone, 1-hexanol, 1-octanol and malonamide (DMDOHEMA) in 1-octanol have been carried out to get a deeper understanding of the parameters responsible for the separation. The predominating complexes independent of solvent used are [Am(CyMe4-BTBP)(2)(NO3)](2+) and [Eu(CyMe4-BTBP)(2)](3+), respectively, which are present as outer-sphere ion-pairs with nitrate ions in the studied solvents with low relative permittivity. The presence of a nitrate ion in the first coordination sphere of the americium(III) complex compensates the charge density of the complex considerably in comparison when only outer-sphere ion-pairs are formed as for the [Eu(CyMe4-BTBP)(2)](3+) complex. The stability and solubility of a complex in a solvent with low relative permittivity increase with decreasing charge density. The [Am(CyMe4-BTBP)(2)(NO3)](2+) complex will therefore be increasingly soluble and stabilized over the [Eu(CyMe4-BTBP)(2)](3+) complex in solvents with decreasing relative permittivity of the solvent. The separation of americium(III) from europium(III) with CyMe4-BTBP as extraction agent will increase with decreasing relative permittivity of the solvent, and thereby also with decreasing solubility of CyMe4-BTBP. The choice of solvent is therefore a balance of a high separation factor and sufficient solubility of the CyMe4-BTBP ligand.

An Organic Experiment on SN2 Chemistry which uses a Radioisotope that is used in Nuclear Medicine and is Relevant to Nuclear Accidents An organic chemistry experiment on the subject of SN2 chemistry is presented. This is an experiment which is aimed at postgraduates and advanced undergraduate students, the experiment can be used both for teaching how to work with open radioactive sources and for teaching organic chemistry.