Terbium149

Terbium-149 is a synthetic radioactive isotope of the element terbium (Tb). It has a mass number of 149 and does not occur naturally. It is produced in nuclear reactors or particle accelerators by irradiating suitable targets and then separating the desired isotope chemically for use in research.

Nuclear properties and decay

Tb-149 has a relatively short half-life on the order of days. The isotope decays through alpha emission as its primary decay mode, with additional and less common decay pathways such as electron capture reported in some studies. The decay results in a lighter daughter nucleus in the neighboring region of the lanthanides, with exact daughter nuclide depending on the decay branch. Because of its alpha-emitting nature, Tb-149 has attracted interest in the context of targeted alpha therapy and other radiopharmaceutical research, where the emitted alpha particles can deliver high local radiation doses to targeted cells.

Chemical and physical characteristics

As an isotope of terbium, Tb-149 shares the chemical properties typical of terbium, most notably its common +3 oxidation state in solution and solid compounds. Chemically, Tb-149 behaves similarly to other terbium isotopes, which facilitates its handling in standard terbium chemistry workflows while requiring radiological controls for safety.

Applications and context

Tb-149 is studied primarily in medical and radiopharmaceutical research, particularly in the broader development of terbium-based theranostics, where different terbium isotopes are pursued for complementary imaging and therapy roles. Production, radiochemical separation, and regulatory considerations remain key factors in translating Tb-149 toward clinical or routine research use.