Excitation function of the 64Ni(α,p)67Cu reaction for production of 67Cu

The excitation function of the 64Ni(α,p)67Cu reaction was measured from threshold up to 24 MeV in order to investigate the possibility of production of the β−-emitting therapeutic radioisotope 67Cu (T1/2=61.9 h). Two stacks of thin metallic self-supporting foils of 64Ni (enrichment 77.8%) prepared by electrolytic deposition were irradiated by α-particle beams. The radioactivity was determined via HPGe detector γ-ray spectrometry. Some 67Ga activity (which emits the same γ-rays as 67Cu), formed via the natCu(α,x)67Ga process on trace copper impurity in the Ni foils, was also observed. Corrections were done for 67Ga activity contribution and for the 67Cu activity escape fraction from the thin Ni-foil. The maximum cross section of the 64Ni(α,p)67Cu reaction amounts to 34 mb at 22 MeV. The experimental results were compared with theoretical predictions. The integral yield of 67Cu at 24 MeV α-particle energy, calculated from the excitation function, amounts to 544 KBq/μAh (48.5 MBq/μA at saturation). It is thus a low-yield reaction.