Copper-64 (64Cu) is a positron and beta emitting isotope of copper, with applications for molecular radiotherapy and positron emission tomography. Its unusually long half-life (12.7-hours) for a positron-emitting isotope makes it increasingly useful when attached to various ligands, for PET and PET-CT scanning. Properties 64Cu has a half-life of 12.7 hours and decays 17.9% by positron emission to 64Ni, 39.0% by beta decay to 64Zn, 43.1% by electron capture to 64Ni, and 0.475% gamma radiation/internal conversion. These emissions are 0.579 MeV, 0.653 MeV and 1.35 MeV for beta minus, positron, and gamma respectively. The oxidation states of copper in biology are I and II since Cu3+ is too powerful to exist in biochemical systems. Furthermore, copper(I) exists as a strong complex in aqueous solution and is not often seen. Copper(II) forms mononuclear complexes that are paramagnetic and prefers ligands of sulfur and nitrogen. Copper is essential in the human body as both a catalyst and as part of enzymes. Copper is mainly involved in redox reactions throughout the body, but also plays a role in iron transportation in blood plasma. Production Copper-64 can be technically reproduced by several different reactions with the most common methods using either a reactor or a particle accelerator. Thermal neutrons can produce 64Cu in low specific activity (the number of decays per second per amount of substance) and low yield through the 63Cu(n,γ)64Cu reaction. At the University of Missouri Research Reactor Center (MURR) 64Cu was produced using high-energy neutrons via the 64Zn(n,p)64Cu nuclear reaction in high specific activity but low yield. Using a biomedical cyclotron the 64Ni(p,n)64Cu nuclear reaction can produce large quantities of the nuclide with high specific activity. Applications As a positron emitter, 64Cu has been used to produce experimental and clinical radiopharmaceuticals for the imaging of a range of conditions. Its beta emissions also raise the possibility of therapeutic applications. Compared to typical PET radionuclides it has a relatively long half-life, which can be advantageous for therapy, and for imaging certain physiological processes. PET imaging Bone metastases Experimental preclinical work has shown that 64Cu linked to methanephosphonate functional groups has potential as a bone imaging agent. Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are localised clinically using a range of DOTA based radiopharmaceuticals. For PET imaging these are typically Gallium-68 based. A commercial 64Cu-DOTA-TATE product has been FDA approved for localization of somatostatin receptor positive NETs since 2020. Prostate cancer The Bombesin peptide