Technetium-99 (99Tc, t1/2: 2.1 x 105 years; bmax: 293.7 keV) is a high-yield fission product (6%) in light-water reactors. In the treatment of used fuel, technetium is isolated in the form of the pertechnetate ion (TcO4-). It is of interest to reduce technetium to stable lower-valent species for permanent storage after separation from spent fuel.  The chemical reduction of technetium-99 from an oxidation state of +7 to 0 requires harsh conditions: the use of high temperatures under hydrogen-rich environments.  Electrochemical reduction of pertechnetate to Tc metal under aqueous conditions requires harsh acidic conditions and produces hydrogen gas.  It is also hindered by the disproportionation of technetium to very stable oxide intermediates such as TcO2. Much of the electrochemistry of technetium is not fully understood. We report here on electrochemical studies of technetium complexes in various non-aqueous media.  We report on the redox chemistry Tc (VII), Tc(VI), Tc(V) and Tc(I) compounds in acetonitrile and in tetraalkylammonium bistrifylimide ionic liquids. The work at BNL was supported by the US-DOE Office of Science, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences under contract DE-AC02-98CH10886.

Electrochemistry of technetium-99 complexes in ionic liquids and other nonaqueous media

248th National Meeting (2014)

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