Thin layer chromatography for astatine and iodine in solutions prepared by dry distillation

The astatine radionuclides At-208,At-209,At-210,At-211 and the iodine radionuclides I-120,I-121,I-123 were simultaneously produced by Li-7 beam irradiation of a stack of lead and tin targets. The astatine and the iodine radionuclides each were separated from the irradiated target with a dry distillation method. No-carrier-added astatine and iodine solutions were prepared using ethanol or water as a solvent. Astatine in the aqueous solution was reacted with an oxidizing or a reducing agent. Separation of the astatine and the iodine ions in the solutions was conducted by thin layer chromatography on silica gel with an ethanol/water solution. Astatine was separated and identified as anions of At-, AtO3- and AtO4-, while iodine was I-, compared with the standard iodine species.