manganese52

Manganese-52 (52Mn) is a radioactive isotope of manganese. It is a positron-emitting isotope with a half-life of 5.591 days. Manganese-52 decays primarily by positron emission to stable iron-52, with a branching ratio of 0.003% to electron capture. Its primary decay mode, positron emission, results in the production of annihilation photons, which are useful in certain medical imaging applications.

Due to its relatively short half-life and the production of gamma rays from positron annihilation, manganese-52 has found applications in nuclear medicine, particularly in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. It can be used to label various biomolecules for diagnostic purposes. The production of manganese-52 is typically achieved through nuclear reactions, such as the bombardment of chromium-52 with protons or the irradiation of iron with deuterons. The availability and cost-effectiveness of producing manganese-52 are factors influencing its widespread adoption in clinical practice compared to other commonly used PET isotopes. Research continues to explore novel applications and improved production methods for this isotope.