211 Rn/ 211 At and 209 At production with intense mass separated Fr ion beams for preclinical 211 At-based α-therapy research.

Mass-separated francium beams (211 Fr or 213 Fr) were implanted into solid targets for producing 211 Rn (14.6h half-life) or 209 At (5.41h), in situ. 211 Rn was transferred to dodecane and isolated from contaminants, providing sources for 211 At (7.21h) production by 211 Rn decay (73%). 209 At was recovered with high radionuclidic purity in aqueous solutions, directly. These experiments demonstrated Fr beam implantations as a novel method for producing preclinical quantities of 211 Rn/211 At (for therapy) and 209 At (for imaging).