Unique Technetium Compound Created by Scientists at Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry

Scientists from the Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry (IPCE) of the Russian Academy of Sciences have for the first time synthesized a unique complex compound of technetium with trichloroacetic anhydride. Its molecular structure is a ring of nine technetium atoms, some of which are in an unusual oxidation state of +4.5. This discovery may find application in medicine, quantum computing, and cryogenic technologies.

The compound was obtained by a solvothermal method from a solution of technetium acid. During the synthesis, technetium atoms were sequentially reduced, forming an oligomeric chain, which then closed into a ring. The researchers used X-ray diffraction analysis, IR and UV spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry to study the properties of the new substance.

The compound demonstrates exceptional solubility in 20 different solvents and is stable up to 130°C. Further heating produces technetium carbonyl.

Technetium compounds with trichloroacetic anhydride can be useful in various fields. In particular, they can be used to create memory elements in devices. In addition, molecular refrigerators can be used as refrigerants in cryogenic research. In biomedicine, they are of interest for cancer treatment, since the temperature difference between cancerous and healthy cells plays an important role in tumor growth. Molecular refrigerators can also control the temperature of individual cells in the body, preventing them from overheating and transitioning to a cancerous state.

Read also:

Technology shortening the process of bone fusion with implants was developed by scientists at Sirius University

Biotechnology for the production of drugs for diabetes was created by Russian scientists

A new word in non-invasive cancer therapy: special nanoparticles were created by scientists at MII IM SFU