Preparation and characterization of cerium(IV) tellurium molybdate gel and its application as a bed for chromatographic 99Mo/99mTc generator

Cerium(IV) tellurium molybdate was prepared as a new gel bed for chromatographic 99 Mo/ 99m Tc generator. The gel material prepared with the optimum conditions was characterized with IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, XRD, EDX and FESEM. The highest precipitation yield of 99 Mo within the formed gel was found to be 97.6 % at a Ce:Te:Mo molar ratio of 1:0.2:1. The prepared 99 Mo/ 99m Tc chromatographic column based on Ce(IV) tellurium molybdate gel bed showed a good performance. The 99m Tc elution yield was 77.8±3.0 % with a radionuclidic purity of ≥ 99.99 %, radiochemical purity of 96.5±1.3 % (as 99m TcO 4- ) and pH-value in the range of 5-7. Molybdenum and cerium levels in 99m Tc eluates did not exceed 1 and 0.3 ppm, respectively, while no tellurium was detected.