A 70-Year-Old Mystery in Technetium Chemistry Explained by the New Technetium Polyoxometalate [H O ] [Tc O ] ⋅ 4H O.

[H O ] [Tc O ] ⋅ 4H O [1] was prepared from an aqueous Tc O solution concentrated over anhydrous H SO . [Tc O ] is the first polyanionic species to be reported for Tc. The unit cell contains one centrosymmetric [Tc O ] polyanion as well as hydronium ions and water molecules. The core of the structure consists of four Tc(V)O octahedra that form a square Tc O ring. The four Tc(V)O octahedra are decorated by sixteen Tc(VII)O tetrahedra. Calculations show the bonding within the Tc O ring to consist of a 3-center bond formed between each neighboring pair of Tc atoms and their bridging oxygen. Calculations also indicate that a strong d→d electronic transition at 513 nm is the origin of the red color of [1]. The characterization of red HTcO solutions by X-ray absorption spectroscopy has complemented the description of this compound in aqueous solution. The formation mechanisms in solution, including the possible role of technetium's radioactivity in the formation of [1], are discussed.