NH4TcO4

Ammonium pertechnetate is the chemical compound with the formula NH4TcO4. It is the ammonium salt of pertechnetic acid. Ammonium pertechnetate is a white crystalline solid. It is soluble in water. This compound is primarily of interest due to the presence of technetium, a radioactive element. Technetium is a synthetic element, meaning it does not occur naturally on Earth in significant quantities. The most common and longest-lived isotope of technetium is technetium-99 (99Tc), which is a beta emitter.

NH4TcO4 is typically synthesized by reacting technetium dioxide (TcO2) or pertechnetic acid (HTcO4) with ammonia. The pertechnetate anion (TcO4-) has a similar chemical behavior to the permanganate ion (MnO4-) and perchlorate ion (ClO4-). This structural and chemical similarity leads to some analogous properties and reactions.

Due to the radioactivity of technetium, ammonium pertechnetate finds applications in nuclear medicine and radiochemistry. It serves as a precursor for the preparation of various technetium-containing radiopharmaceuticals used in diagnostic imaging. These radiopharmaceuticals are designed to localize in specific organs or tissues, allowing for the detection of diseases. Handling of NH4TcO4 requires appropriate safety precautions due to its radioactive nature.