Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of producing radionuclides, the method comprisingcausing a liquid capture matrix to continuously flow into a mobile phase filter compartment inside an irradiation core and then into a collection reservoir outside the radiation core while simultaneously irradiating a target comprising a target nuclide trapped in the mobile phase filter compartment by a mobile phase filter,wherein the target is irradiated with radiation, ionizing radiation, particles, or a combination thereof to produce radionuclides that are ejected from the target and into the liquid capture matrix such that the radionuclides are collected in the collection reservoir. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the radionuclides are produced from the target nuclide via a reaction selected from the group consisting of a (n, γ) reaction, a (γ, n) reaction, and a (n, 2n) reaction. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiation is selected from the group consisting of neutron radiation, gamma radiation, and a combination thereof. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiation comprises thermal neutron radiation, epithermal neutron radiation, or a neutron radiation having a neutron energy above 0.4 eV. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid capture matrix is water. 6. The method claim 1, wherein the liquid capture matrix has a pH of about 3 to 5. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the target nuclide has one or more organic ligands attached thereto, and the radionuclides are ejected from the target by breaking one or more bonds with the ligands. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the target nuclide is selected from the group consisting of elements having atomic number from 21 to 102. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the target nuclide is selected from the group consisting of 23Na, 31P, 37Cl, 50Cr, 55Mn, 75As, 81Br, 89Y, 98Mo, 104Ru, 127I, 152Sm, 165Ho, 174Yb, 175/176Lu, 185Re, 187Re, 194Pt, 197Au and 237Np. 10. The method claim 1, wherein the target nuclide is selected from the group consisting of the lanthanides and the actinides. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the target comprises one or more organic ligands selected from the group consisting of acetylacetonate, picolinate, 8-hydroxyquinolinate, dimethylglyoximate, oxalate, 4-aminobenzoate, glycinate, and derivatives thereof. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the target comprises a support structure, and wherein the target nuclide is in a polymer coating on the support structure. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the support structure is a mesoporous resin. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the support structure is a copolymer of styrene and divinylbenzene. 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the polymer coating on the support structure has a thickness that is less than a recoil range of the target nuclide. 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the target nuclide is 237Np, andwherein the radionuclide is 238Np that decays to produce 238Pu. 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the target nuclide is 96Mo, and wherein the radionuclide is 99Mo that decays to produce 99mTc. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the target has a solubility in the capture matrix of about 0.001 M or less at room temperature. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the enrichment factor is from 3 to 30.