Complexes of technetium with pyrophosphate, etidronate, and medronate.

The reduction of [99Tc]pertechnetate was studied as a function of pH in complexing media of pyrophosphate, methylene diphosphonate (MDP), and ethane-1, hydroxy-1, and 1-diphosphonate (HEDP). Tast (sampled d-c) and normal-pulse polarography were used to study the reduction of pertechnetate, and normal-pulse polarography (sweeping in the anodic direction) to study the reoxidation of the products. Below pH 6 TcO4-was reduced to Tc(III), which could be reoxidized to Tc(IV). Above pH 10, TcO4-was reduced in two steps to Tc(V) and Tc(IV), each of which could be reoxidized to TcO4-. Between pH 6 and 10 the results differed according to the ligand present. In pyrophosphate and MDP, TcO4- was reduced in two steps to Tc(IV) and Tc(III); Tc(III) could be reoxidized in two steps to Tc(IV) and TcO4-. In HEDP, on the other hand, TcO4- was reduced in two steps to Tc(V) and Tc(III), and could be reoxidized to Tc(IV) and TcO4-. Additional waves were observed; they apparently led to unstable products.