Development of an electrochemistry apparatus for the heaviest elements

Abstract

Summary We developed a new apparatus for the study of electrochemical properties of the heaviest elements. The apparatus is based on a flow electrolytic cell combined with column chromatography. Glassy-carbon fibers modified with Nafion perfluorinated cation-exchange resin are used as a working electrode as well as a cation-exchanger. The elution behavior of 139Ce with the number of 1010 atoms in 0.1 M ammonium α-hydroxyisobutyric acid solution from the column electrode was investigated at the applied potentials of 0.2–1.0 V versus the Ag/AgCl reference electrode in 1.0 M LiCl. It was found that 139Ce3+ is successfully oxidized to 139Ce4+ even with tracer concentration at around the redox potential determined by cyclic voltammetry for the macro amounts of Ce with 1017 atoms (10−3 M). The present oxidation reaction and separation of Ce4+ was accomplished within a few minutes.