Study of solvent extraction of 114mIn(III) using quinaldic acid into isoamyl alcohol

Indium(III) in small doses stimulates the metabolism of human beings. Its compounds are regarded toxic as it damages the heart, kidney and liver and it may also be teratogenic. As an established infection-imaging modality, nuclear medicine plays a vital health-care role in the diagnosis and subsequent effective treatment of this condition. Several techniques in nuclear medicine significantly aid infection diagnosis, including imaging with 99mTc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime, 99mTc-stannous fluoride colloid labeled leukocytes, 67Ga-citrate and 111In-oxine. In the present investigation a rapid and selective method for the extraction of In(III) using 114mIn as a tracer has been developed. The extractant, quinaldic acid has been used for the extraction of In(III) from alkaline medium into isoamyl alcohol. The extractability of In(III) was studied as a function of pH, equilibration period, effect of diluents and diverse ions. The substoichiometric method of extraction for determining the composition of the complex has also been established. The extracted In(III) from the organic phase could be stripped into the aqueous phase using 3N hydrochloric acid. The results obtained were reproducible.