Purification of Copper Radioisotopes for Medical Applications: Chromatographic Methods and Challenges

Copper radioisotopes are gaining increasing significance for medical use in recent years for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. To answer the growing clinical demand, fast, reliable and efficient purification methods to isolate copper isotopes from the irradiated target materials used for their production were developed. Chromatographic techniques have been extensively studied and used to isolate copper isotopes from other metals such as nickel, zinc, or cobalt. This review comprehensively surveys the ion exchange and extraction chromatographic methods developed for copper radioisotope purification to produce radiopharmaceuticals for medical use. Key factors such as target material, isotopic enrichment, number of steps and clinical application are discussed. It concludes with thoughts on automated purification and its importance in the future of the field.