A NEW METHOD FOR THE SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF PERTECHNETATE WITH TRIS(1,10-PHENANTHROLINE)IRON(II) ION

A new spectrophotometric determination of technetium has been develope d by means of the solvent extraction of tris(1,10-phenanthroline)iron( II) ([Fe(phen)(3)(2+)]) with pertechnetate into nitrobenzene. The conc entration of technetium can be determined by measuring the characteris tic absorbance at 516 nm (epsilon = 11,700M(-1).cm(-1)) in the organic phase. An important feature of the proposed method is that the concen tration of pertechnetate can be determined without complicated process es such as the reduction of pertechnetate and the subsequent formation of a colored chelate.