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The present invention relates to radiation source materials, particularly those including rare and expensive radioisotopes. For example, the spontaneous fission of californium-252 provides a substantial neutron flux but this element is extremely difficult and expensive to produce and fabricate. In respect to safety this isotope must be contained in a refractory and stable form to prevent its escape should the encapsulation fail during use or storage. In accordance with the present invention a dissociable radioisotope compound is suspended in a liquid solution and a layer of noble metal is chemically plated onto the suspended particles. The plating is achieved by the addition of noble metal cations and a chemical reductant. The particles are thereby enclosed in protective coatings of noble metal to minimize loss in the subsequent process. After the chemical plating step, the coated particles are filtered from the solution and dried to a powder.