Theoretical analysis of light and heavy-ion induced reactions: production of medically relevant 97Ru

97Ru is a key radionuclide sought for diagnostic imaging due to its low-energy and intense γ-rays of 215.7 keV and 324.5 keV. New reaction routes to produce this radionuclide are constantly being investigated. A crucial step in carrying out such reactions is a reliable beforehand estimate of the production cross section of radionuclide and optimization conditions through robust theoretical frameworks. Existing literature on α + 95Mo reaction has been freshly examined to understand the excitation function of 97Ru. The data have been compared to other reactions of different projectiles on medium-mass targets. The reaction codes pace4, empire-3.2.2, and talys-1.96 have been employed to decipher the reaction mechanism and check the predictive ability of underlying theoretical models. The yield of 97Ru at different projectile energies and thick target yield in the optimum energy range has also been determined from the theoretical modeling.