Tellurium isotope fractionation study

15 February 1968

journal article
Published by Canadian Science Publishing in Canadian Journal of Chemistry

Vol. 46 (4) , 583-591
https://doi.org/10.1139/v68-096

Abstract

"Normal vibration equations" have been solved to yield vibrational frequencies for isotopic compounds of tellurium. These frequencies were used to evaluate "partition function ratios" for ¹²²Te- and ¹³⁰Te-containing compounds. Theoretical "isotopic equilibrium exchange constants" and estimates of "kinetic isotope effects" were derived from these ratios. The results suggest that the ¹²²Te/¹³⁰Te abundance may be altered significantly in laboratory reactions and terrestrial processes.Preliminary experiments have realized kinetic isotope effects of 0.7 and 0.6% in inorganic and microbiological reductions respectively of tellurite to elemental tellurium. These results are interpreted in terms of the isotope effect in Te—O bond breakage.The maximum variation in the ¹³⁰Te/¹²²Te abundance ratio of six natural tellurides and two commercial preparations of TeO₃²⁻ was found to be 0.4%.The results are compared with those found in analogous selenium and sulfur isotope investigations.

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