Electrochemical oxidation of nobelium

Toyoshima, Atsushi; Kasamatsu, Yoshitaka; Tsukada, Kazuaki  ; Kitatsuji, Yoshihiro  ; Haba, Hiromitsu*; Ishii, Yasuo; Tome, Hayato; Asai, Masato  ; Akiyama, Kazuhiko*; Oe, Kazuhiro*; Sato, Wataru*; Shinohara, Atsushi*; Nagame, Yuichiro 

Electrochemical oxidation of nobelium (No) produced in the Cm(C, 5n)No reaction was studied using a new electrochemistry apparatus combined with chromatographic separation technique. Chromatographic behaviour of No in 0.1 M -hydroxyisobutyric acid (-HIB) on the electrode surface was measured with verifying the difference in behaviour between divalent Sr and trivalent Yb ions. Independently of the applied potentials, Yb was eluted in the 0.1 M -HIB while Sr was adsorbed on the electrode. At the low potential of 0.2 V, No was adsorbed on the electrode, indicating that No is bound in the most stable divalent state. On the other hand, at the higher potential of 1.2 V, No was unambiguously detected in the 0.1 M -HIB, showing that No exists as a trivalent ion. These results demonstrate that the electrochemical oxidation of No to No is successfully performed.