Quantitative Pertechnetate Capture by a Bambusuril‐based Material: From Seawater Decontamination to Radiopharmaceutical Solutions

ABSTRACT Pertechnetate is central to nuclear waste management ( 99 − ) and nuclear medicine ( 99m − ), yet its selective capture from saline media at ultratrace concentrations remains an unsolved challenge. Here we show that bambusuril macrocycles binds 99 − in water with micromolar affinity, forming well‐defined host‐guest complexes. Immobilization of bambusuril on silica translates this molecular recognition into efficient solid‐phase extraction, enhancing binding under highly competitive conditions of seawater and medicinal generator eluents. The resulting material quantitatively captures 99 − from saline solutions at femtomolar concentrations and enables direct elution of preconcentrated 99 − using commercial nuclear medicine kit formulations. These findings establish bambusuril‐based materials as the first supramolecular platform for ultratrace pertechnetate capture from highly competitive saline media, bridging molecular recognition with applications in nuclear medicine and environmental remediation.