"Opportunities with Promethium and Radium Using Isotope Harvesting at FRIB"

Promethium and radium are understudied elements with a wide range of applications in nuclear energy and in nuclear medicine. The Gaiser Group’s research aims to better establish the fundamental chemistries of these elements to allow for more accessible use. Promethium-147 is a candidate for beta voltaic nuclear batteries, and promethium-149 is a beta emitter projected to vastly improve upon the current standard targeted beta therapeutic isotope, lutetium-177. A major drive of promethium chemistry is to understand its differences within the f-block to facilitate a timely and efficient separation process.

Radium-223 is currently used in bone metastasized cancers; however, with no suitable chelating agent, its cancer-killing power cannot be utilized for other cancers. With a focus on the fundamental coordination chemistry of radium, the Gaiser Group seeks to design and develop a radium specific chelator to expand upon its current clinical use. Additionally, radium-225 may hold a secret to the origin of the universe with a possible octupole deformed nucleus.