Nuclear model calculation for cyclotron production of 61Cu as a PET imaging

⁶¹Cu is positron emitter and can be used as the PET and molecular imaging. In this study cyclotron production of ⁶¹Cu via ⁶¹Ni(p,n)⁶¹Cu, ^natNi(p,x)⁶¹Cu, ^natNi(d,x)⁶¹Cu, ^natNi(α,x)⁶¹Cu, ^natZn(p,x)⁶¹Cu and ⁵⁹Co(α,2n)⁶¹Cu reactions was investigated. The ALICE/ASH (hybrid and GDH models) and TALYS-1.2 codes were used to calculate excitation functions for proton, alpha and deuteron induced on ^natNi, proton on ⁶¹Ni and ^natZn and also alpha-particle on ⁵⁹Co targets that lead to the production of ⁶¹Cu radioisotopes using intermediate energy accelerators. In addition, we compared the data obtained from in this study with the reported measurement by experimental data. Moreover, optimal thickness of the targets and physical yield were obtained by stopping and range of ions in matter code for each reaction. Eventually ⁶¹Ni(p,n)⁶¹Cu and ⁵⁹Co(α,2n)⁶¹Cu reaction to produce ⁶¹Cu in no-carrier added state with high production yield was suggested. Finally the ^natNi(p,x)⁶¹Cu reaction was employed to test the target preparation using electroplating technique.