In recent years, radiopharmaceuticals have been increasingly used for diagnostics and treatment of cancer. In addition to a biological vector, a modern radiopharmaceutical includes a chelator that binds the radionuclide, as well as a linker for connecting the vector and the chelator. The development of such an approach requires the improvement of methods for obtaining and purifying radionuclides, and the development of methods for the synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals, i.e., preparative direction. It is also necessary to search for new vectors and chelators. This implies the development of methods for analyzing the properties of radiopharmaceuticals in general, as well as their precursors, i.e., analytical direction. In this review, we describe the prerequisites for successfully solving a wide range of challenges in these two areas of nuclear medicine at the Scientific and Experimental Department of Nuclear Spectroscopy and Radiochemistry of the Laboratory of Nuclear Problems of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (LNP JINR). These prerequisites are due to rich experience in obtaining the widest range of radionuclides and their application for various spectrometric studies. Both the past and present works on radiopharmaceutical topics carried out in the department are described, and ways of future development are outlined.

A method for the production of 111 In from an antimony target irradiated with 600 MeV protons has been developed. Here, a three-stage scheme of indium purification using ion-exchange chromatography is performed. The radiochemical yield is 85%, with a decontamination factor of the target material of no less than 10 9 . The 111 In preparation produced by the present method was used in studies of perturbed angular correlations. Also, a procedure for the production and separation of 117 m Sn/ 119 m Te was developed, which is of particular interest for further studies on designing a generator to produce 119 Sb.

The distribution coefficients of Hf(IV) and Lu(III) between Dowex 50W×8 cation exchanger or Dowex 1×8 anion exchanger and mixed HCl–H 2 C 2 O 4 solutions and between Dowex 50W×8 cation exchanger or Dowex 1×8 anion exchanger and citric acid solutions were determined. A number of modifications of the 172 Hf → 172 Lu generator, based on reverse separation schemes, were examined. Systems consisting of an anion-exchange resin and a solution of appropriate organic acid were taken as a chemical basis of the generator. Irreversible sorption of 172 Lu in generator columns was studied. The optimum operation mode of the 172 Hf → 172 Lu generator based on the reverse-tandem scheme with periodic transfer of the parent radionuclide into the liquid phase was determined.

The principal aspects of 44Ti application in time-differential γγ perturbed-angular-correlation method (TDPAC) for studying condensed matter are discussed. In the presented spectrometer modification, the efficiency of 44Ti application can be considerably increased by using thin NaI scintillator crystals. Promising techniques for 44Ti production and a method for synthesizing samples are described. Examples of TDPAC studies of titanium (rutile TiO2) and scandium (Sc2O3) oxide samples are shown.

New cubic phases of YbGe2.85, TbGe2.85 and DyGe2.85 crystallized in the AuCu3 structure are synthesized at a pressure of 8 GPa. Using the differential perturbed angular gamma gamma-correlation method (TDPAC) we measure the electric field gradient V-zz (the quadrupole frequency nu(Q) = eQV(ZZ)/h) at Cd-111 nuclei probes inserted in Ge vacancy lattice sites for all these compounds. In YbGe2.85 the electric field gradient (EFG) is obtained as a function of pressure (up to 8 GPa) at room temperature and as a function of temperature (down to 4 K) at normal pressure. In TbGe2.85 and DyGe2.85 EFG is measured only as a function of temperature (down to 77 K) at normal pressure. In YbGe2.85 the change of EFG and nu(Q) with pressure indicate a change of Yb valance from 2.46 at normal pressure to 2.89 at 8 GPa. In all compounds EFG and nu(Q) are found to be practically independent of temperature. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

The LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface provides an intriguing 2-dimensional electron system in which the coexistence of superconductivity and magnetism has been observed. This chapter presents preliminary results of ongoing angular dependent torque magnetometry measurements on SrTiO3-LaAlO3 heterostructures at different magnetic fields and temperatures. The authors have calculated the lattice thermal conductivity in layered oxide thermoelectric (TE) materials using perturbed molecular dynamics methods and tried to reveal the mechanisms of thermal conduction, thereby building up a strategy to control it. In order to achieve the next generation of nanometer sized electronic devices a detailed understanding and control of electrical transport is essential. The chapter reports on electronic transport measurements of biphenylpropanethiol (BP3) capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with a diameter of 4 nm used as functional units. Controlled Vocabulary Terms electronic structure; lattice dynamics; magnetic fields; superconductivity

Using time-differential perturbed angular correlation spectroscopy we have measured the electric field gradient (EFG) at (111)Cd probe nuclei in solid Ce in a pressure range up to 8 GPa. Covering various allotropic phases of Ce, we find that the value of the EFG in the cubic alpha phase is almost four times larger than in the cubic gamma phase and close to values in the noncubic phases alpha' and alpha ''. These results together with the differences in time modulation of the spectra are interpreted as evidence for quadrupolar electronic charge-density ordering and symmetry lowering at the gamma ->alpha transition while the lattice remains face-centered cubic.

Using time-differential perturbed angular correlation spectroscopy we have measured the electric field gradient (EFG) at $^{111}\text{C}\text{d}$ probe nuclei in solid Ce in a pressure range up to 8 GPa. Covering various allotropic phases of Ce, we find that the value of the EFG in the cubic $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ phase is almost four times larger than in the cubic $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ phase and close to values in the noncubic phases ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{''}}$. These results together with the differences in time modulation of the spectra are interpreted as evidence for quadrupolar electronic charge-density ordering and symmetry lowering at the $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\alpha}$ transition while the lattice remains face-centered cubic.

We use the time-differential perturbed angular correlation technique to study nuclear electric quadupole hyperfine interactions of probe 111Cd nuclei in cerium lattice sites at room temperature under pressures up to 8 GPa. We have found that the well known γ → α phase transition in cerium is not isostructural. In α-Ce, the probe 111Cd nuclei reveal a quadrupole electron charge density component that is absent in γ-Ce. The hidden spacial structure of electronic quadrupoles in α-Ce is triple-q antiferroquadrupolar, as was suggested in [14]. We relate our findings to the current understanding of the γ → α phase transition and also report on nuclear quadrupole interactions in other high-pressure phases of cerium: α″ (C2/m space symmetry) and α′ (α-U structure).

Using a small amount of radioactive 111Cd atoms implanted in cerium lattice to probe the hyperfine electric quadrupole interaction, we have detected a quadrupole electron charge density component in alpha-Ce, which is absent in gamma-Ce. The appearance of the quadrupole density in alpha-Ce predicted by the quadrupole scenario of the phase transition demonstrates that the spacial symmetry is lowered at the gamma->alpha phase transition. This finding makes cerium the first element where the symmetry change is driven exclusively by the valence electron degrees of freedom while the atomic centers of mass (cerium nuclei) occupy the face centered cubic positions. We also report on nuclear quadrupole interactions in other high pressure phases of cerium: alpha' (C2/m space symmetry) and alpha' (alpha-U structure).