Yttrium-90 and Rhenium-188 Radiopharmaceuticals for Radionuclide Therapy

FIG. 3.4. Schematic diagram of the electrochemical device used in experiments.
The electrolysis was performed in two stages: the first one was aimed at
electrodeposition of the desired element (yttrium) and the second one, called the
recovery stage, was aimed at removal of yttrium from the electrode.
3.1.2.1. Electrolysis with non-irradiated materials
In the first stage, the electrodeposition stage, ~30 mL of a solution
containing Sr(NO 3 ) 2 or Y 2 O 3 in 1M HNO 3 was used. During the process, N 2 gas
was gently bubbled into the electrolytic solution under continuous stirring using
a magnetic stirrer.
The second stage, the recovery stage, was performed after removing the
electrodes from the original solution and placing them in a fresh 0.001–1M HNO 3
solution. The polarity was reversed with constant potential and current for a
period of 5–30 min. There was no N 2 bubbling or stirring during this process.
The Pt electrodes were weighed before and after the electrodeposition to evaluate
the exact electrodeposition yield. The results of electrodeposition as a function of
time, pH and applied current are illustrated in Figs 3.5, 3.6 and 3.7, respectively.
34