99Tc is one of the predominant fission products of 235U and an important component of nuclear industry wastes. The long half-life and specific activity of 99Tc (212,000 y, 0.63 GBq g−1) makes Tc a hazardous material. Two principal ways were proposed for its disposal, namely, long-term storage and transmutation. Conversion to metal-like technetium matrices is highly desirable for both cases and for the second one the reasonably high Tc purity was important too. Tetramethylammonium pertechnetate (TMAP) was proposed here as a prospective precursor for matrix manufacture. It provided with very high decontamination factors from actinides (that is imperative for transmutation) by means of recrystallisation and it was based on the precise data on TMAP solubility and thermodynamics accomplished in the temperature range of 3–68 °C. The structure of solid pertechnetates were re-estimated with precise X-ray structure solution and compared to its Re and Cl analogues and tetrabutylammonium analogue as well. Differential thermal and evolved gas analysis in a flow of Ar–5% H2 gas mixture showed that the major products of thermolysis were pure metallic technetium in solid matrix, trimethylammonium, carbon dioxide, and water in gas phase. High decontamination factors have been achieved when TMAP was used as an intermediate precursor for Tc.
Ten novel perrhenates of nitrogenous heterocycles have been generated throughout this investigation. The crystal structure of these compounds was thoroughly examined, and intermolecular non-covalent interactions were analysed using the Hirshfeld surface approach. Organic perrhenate cations interact primarily through intermolecular contacts of the H⋯H, O⋯H/H⋯O, and N⋯H/H⋯N types, whereas anions interact mostly via O⋯H/H⋯O interactions. Six of the eight structures with aromatic fragments had anion–π interactions, whereas four of the 11 structures had anion–anion interactions of the Re–O type. Previously unexplored subtypes of 2D networks composed of interacting tetrahedral perrhenate anions have been discovered in piperazinium and triazolium salts. Thermochemical analysis suggests that Re–O⋯Re anion–anion interactions provide additional stabilisation and impact phase transitions in perrhenates. The consistent patterns of organic salt perrhenate behaviour under MALDI-spectrometry settings have been identified. Characteristic multiplets for rhenium acid salts, which can be designated MALDI fingerprints, have been found. Potential formulae of oxorhenates corresponding to the listed multiplets have been specified.