Isotopes of copper - Reference.org

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Isotopes of copper

Copper (29Cu) has two stable isotopes, 63Cu and 65Cu, along with 28 radioisotopes. The most stable radioisotope is 67Cu with a half-life of 61.83 hours. Most of the others have half-lives under a minute. Unstable copper isotopes with atomic masses below 63 tend to undergo β+ decay, while isotopes with atomic masses above 65 tend to undergo β− decay. 64Cu decays by both β+ and β−.

There are at least 10 metastable isomers of copper, including two each for 70Cu and 75Cu. The most stable of these is 68mCu with a half-life of 3.75 minutes. The least stable is 75m2Cu with a half-life of 149 ns.

List of isotopes

Nuclide³	Z	N	Isotopic mass (Da)⁴ ⁵ ⁶	Half-life ⁷	Decaymode ⁸ ⁹	Daughterisotope ¹⁰	Spin andparity ¹¹ ¹² ¹³	Natural abundance (mole fraction)
Nuclide³	Excitation energy¹⁴			Half-life ⁷	Decaymode ⁸ ⁹	Daughterisotope ¹⁰	Spin andparity ¹¹ ¹² ¹³	Normal proportion¹⁵	Range of variation
55Cu	29	26	54.96604(17)	55.9(15) ms	β+	55Ni	3/2−#
55Cu	29	26	54.96604(17)	55.9(15) ms	β+, p (?%)	54Co	3/2−#
56Cu	29	27	55.9585293(69)	80.8(6) ms	β+ (99.60%)	56Ni	(4+)
56Cu	29	27	55.9585293(69)	80.8(6) ms	β+, p (0.40%)	55Co	(4+)
57Cu	29	28	56.94921169(54)	196.4(7) ms	β+	57Ni	3/2−
58Cu	29	29	57.94453228(60)	3.204(7) s	β+	58Ni	1+
59Cu	29	30	58.93949671(57)	81.5(5) s	β+	59Ni	3/2−
60Cu	29	31	59.9373638(17)	23.7(4) min	β+	60Ni	2+
61Cu	29	32	60.9334574(10)	3.343(16) h	β+	61Ni	3/2−
62Cu	29	33	61.9325948(07)	9.672(8) min	β+	62Ni	1+
63Cu	29	34	62.92959712(46)	Stable			3/2−	0.6915(15)
64Cu	29	35	63.92976400(46)	12.7004(13) h	β+ (61.52%)	64Ni	1+
64Cu	29	35	63.92976400(46)	12.7004(13) h	β− (38.48%)	64Zn	1+
65Cu	29	36	64.92778948(69)	Stable			3/2−	0.3085(15)
66Cu	29	37	65.92886880(70)	5.120(14) min	β−	66Zn	1+
66mCu	1154.2(14) keV			600(17) ns	IT	66Cu	(6)−
67Cu	29	38	66.92772949(96)	61.83(12) h	β−	67Zn	3/2−
68Cu	29	39	67.9296109(17)	30.9(6) s	β−	68Zn	1+
68mCu	721.26(8) keV			3.75(5) min	IT (86%)	68Cu	6−
68mCu	721.26(8) keV			3.75(5) min	β− (14%)	68Zn	6−
69Cu	29	40	68.929429267(15)	2.85(15) min	β−	69Zn	3/2−
69mCu	2742.0(7) keV			357(2) ns	IT	69Cu	(13/2+)
70Cu	29	41	69.9323921(12)	44.5(2) s	β−	70Zn	6−
70m1Cu	101.1(3) keV			33(2) s	β− (52%)	70Zn	3−
70m1Cu	101.1(3) keV			33(2) s	IT (48%)	70Cu	3−
70m2Cu	242.6(5) keV			6.6(2) s	β− (93.2%)	70Zn	1+
70m2Cu	242.6(5) keV			6.6(2) s	IT (6.8%)	70Cu	1+
71Cu	29	42	70.9326768(16)	19.4(14) s	β−	71Zn	3/2−
71mCu	2755.7(6) keV			271(13) ns	IT	71Cu	(19/2−)
72Cu	29	43	71.9358203(15)	6.63(3) s	β−	72Zn	2−
72mCu	270(3) keV			1.76(3) μs	IT	72Cu	(6−)
73Cu	29	44	72.9366744(21)	4.20(12) s	β− (99.71%)	73Zn	3/2−
73Cu	29	44	72.9366744(21)	4.20(12) s	β−, n (0.29%)	72Zn	3/2−
74Cu	29	45	73.9398749(66)	1.606(9) s	β− (99.93%)	74Zn	2−
74Cu	29	45	73.9398749(66)	1.606(9) s	β−, n (0.075%)	73Zn	2−
75Cu	29	46	74.94152382(77)	1.224(3) s	β− (97.3%)	75Zn	5/2−
75Cu	29	46	74.94152382(77)	1.224(3) s	β−, n (2.7%)	74Zn	5/2−
75m1Cu	61.7(4) keV			0.310(8) μs	IT	75Cu	1/2−
75m2Cu	66.2(4) keV			0.149(5) μs	IT	75Cu	3/2−
76Cu¹⁶	29	47	75.9452370(21)	1.27(30) s	β− (?%)	76Zn	(1,2)
76Cu¹⁶	29	47	75.9452370(21)	1.27(30) s	β−, n (?%)	75Zn	(1,2)
76mCu¹⁷	64.8(25) keV			637.7(55) ms	β− (?%)	76Zn	3−
					β−, n (?%)	75Zn
					IT (10–17%)	76Cu
77Cu	29	48	76.9475436(13)	470.3(17) ms	β− (69.9%)	77Zn	5/2−
77Cu	29	48	76.9475436(13)	470.3(17) ms	β−, n (30.1%)	76Zn	5/2−
78Cu	29	49	77.9519206(81)¹⁸	330.7(20) ms	β−, n (50.6%)	77Zn	(6−)
78Cu	29	49	77.9519206(81)¹⁸	330.7(20) ms	β− (49.4%)	78Zn	(6−)
79Cu	29	50	78.95447(11)	241.3(21) ms	β−, n (66%)	78Zn	(5/2−)
79Cu	29	50	78.95447(11)	241.3(21) ms	β− (34%)	79Zn	(5/2−)
80Cu	29	51	79.96062(32)#	113.3(64) ms	β−, n (59%)	79Zn
80Cu	29	51	79.96062(32)#	113.3(64) ms	β− (41%)	80Zn
81Cu	29	52	80.96574(32)#	73.2(68) ms	β−, n (81%)	80Zn	5/2−#
81Cu	29	52	80.96574(32)#	73.2(68) ms	β− (19%)	81Zn	5/2−#
82Cu	29	53	81.97238(43)#	34(7) ms	β−	82Zn
83Cu	29	54	82.97811(54)#	21# ms [>410 ns]			5/2−#
84Cu¹⁹	29	55	83.98527(54)#
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Copper nuclear magnetic resonance

Both stable isotopes of copper (63Cu and 65Cu) have nuclear spin of 3/2−, and thus produce nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, although the spectral lines are broad due to quadrupolar broadening. 63Cu is the more sensitive nucleus while 65Cu yields very slightly narrower signals. Usually though 63Cu NMR is preferred.²⁰

Medical applications

Copper offers a relatively large number of radioisotopes that are potentially useful for nuclear medicine.

There is growing interest in the use of 64Cu, 62Cu, 61Cu, and 60Cu for diagnostic purposes and 67Cu and 64Cu for targeted radiotherapy. For example, 64Cu has a longer half-life than most positron-emitters (12.7 hours) and is thus ideal for diagnostic PET imaging of biological molecules.²¹

Isotope masses from:
- Audi, Georges; Bersillon, Olivier; Blachot, Jean; Wapstra, Aaldert Hendrik (2003), "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties", Nuclear Physics A, 729: 3–128, Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A, doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001
Isotopic compositions and standard atomic masses from:
- de Laeter, John Robert; Böhlke, John Karl; De Bièvre, Paul; Hidaka, Hiroshi; Peiser, H. Steffen; Rosman, Kevin J. R.; Taylor, Philip D. P. (2003). "Atomic weights of the elements. Review 2000 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 75 (6): 683–800. doi:10.1351/pac200375060683.
- Wieser, Michael E. (2006). "Atomic weights of the elements 2005 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 78 (11): 2051–2066. doi:10.1351/pac200678112051.
"News & Notices: Standard Atomic Weights Revised". International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. 19 October 2005.
Half-life, spin, and isomer data selected from the following sources.
- Audi, Georges; Bersillon, Olivier; Blachot, Jean; Wapstra, Aaldert Hendrik (2003), "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties", Nuclear Physics A, 729: 3–128, Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A, doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001
- National Nuclear Data Center. "NuDat 2.x database". Brookhaven National Laboratory.
- Holden, Norman E. (2004). "11. Table of the Isotopes". In Lide, David R. (ed.). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (85th ed.). Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9.
Application of Copper radioisotopes in Medicine (Review Paper):
- Pejman Rowshanfarzad; Mahsheed Sabet; AmirReza Jalilian; Mohsen Kamalidehghan (2006). "An overview of copper radionuclides and production of 61Cu by proton irradiation of natZn at a medical cyclotron". Applied Radiation and Isotopes. 64 (12): 1563–1573. doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2005.11.012. PMID 16377202.

References

Kondev, F. G.; Wang, M.; Huang, W. J.; Naimi, S.; Audi, G. (2021). "The NUBASE2020 evaluation of nuclear properties" (PDF). Chinese Physics C. 45 (3): 030001. doi:10.1088/1674-1137/abddae. https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/ame2020/NUBASE2020.pdf ↩
Kondev, F. G.; Wang, M.; Huang, W. J.; Naimi, S.; Audi, G. (2021). "The NUBASE2020 evaluation of nuclear properties" (PDF). Chinese Physics C. 45 (3): 030001. doi:10.1088/1674-1137/abddae. https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/ame2020/NUBASE2020.pdf ↩
mCu – Excited nuclear isomer. /wiki/Nuclear_isomer ↩
Wang, Meng; Huang, W.J.; Kondev, F.G.; Audi, G.; Naimi, S. (2021). "The AME 2020 atomic mass evaluation (II). Tables, graphs and references*". Chinese Physics C. 45 (3): 030003. doi:10.1088/1674-1137/abddaf. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩
( ) – Uncertainty (1σ) is given in concise form in parentheses after the corresponding last digits. ↩
# – Atomic mass marked #: value and uncertainty derived not from purely experimental data, but at least partly from trends from the Mass Surface (TMS). ↩
Kondev, F. G.; Wang, M.; Huang, W. J.; Naimi, S.; Audi, G. (2021). "The NUBASE2020 evaluation of nuclear properties" (PDF). Chinese Physics C. 45 (3): 030001. doi:10.1088/1674-1137/abddae. https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/ame2020/NUBASE2020.pdf ↩
Kondev, F. G.; Wang, M.; Huang, W. J.; Naimi, S.; Audi, G. (2021). "The NUBASE2020 evaluation of nuclear properties" (PDF). Chinese Physics C. 45 (3): 030001. doi:10.1088/1674-1137/abddae. https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/ame2020/NUBASE2020.pdf ↩
Modes of decay: IT:Isomeric transitionn:Neutron emissionp:Proton emission /wiki/Isomeric_transition ↩
Bold symbol as daughter – Daughter product is stable. ↩
Kondev, F. G.; Wang, M.; Huang, W. J.; Naimi, S.; Audi, G. (2021). "The NUBASE2020 evaluation of nuclear properties" (PDF). Chinese Physics C. 45 (3): 030001. doi:10.1088/1674-1137/abddae. https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/ame2020/NUBASE2020.pdf ↩
( ) spin value – Indicates spin with weak assignment arguments. ↩
# – Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from trends of neighboring nuclides (TNN). ↩
# – Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from trends of neighboring nuclides (TNN). ↩
Kondev, F. G.; Wang, M.; Huang, W. J.; Naimi, S.; Audi, G. (2021). "The NUBASE2020 evaluation of nuclear properties" (PDF). Chinese Physics C. 45 (3): 030001. doi:10.1088/1674-1137/abddae. https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/ame2020/NUBASE2020.pdf ↩
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