Isotopes of copper explained

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

|-| rowspan=2|⁵⁵Cu| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 26| rowspan=2|54.96604(17)| rowspan=2|55.9(15) ms| β⁺| ⁵⁵Ni| rowspan=2|3/2−#| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β⁺, p?| ⁵⁴Co|-| rowspan=2|⁵⁶Cu| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 27| rowspan=2|55.9585293(69)| rowspan=2|80.8(6) ms| β⁺ (99.60%)| ⁵⁶Ni| rowspan=2|(4+)| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β⁺, p (0.40%)| ⁵⁵Co|-| ⁵⁷Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 28| 56.94921169(54)| 196.4(7) ms| β⁺| ⁵⁷Ni| 3/2−|||-| ⁵⁸Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 29| 57.94453228(60)| 3.204(7) s| β⁺| ⁵⁸Ni| 1+|||-| ⁵⁹Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 30| 58.93949671(57)| 81.5(5) s| β⁺| ⁵⁹Ni| 3/2−|||-| ⁶⁰Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 31| 59.9373638(17)| 23.7(4) min| β⁺| ⁶⁰Ni| 2+|||-| ⁶¹Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 32| 60.9334574(10)| 3.343(16) h| β⁺| ⁶¹Ni| 3/2−|||-| ⁶²Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 33| 61.9325948(07)| 9.672(8) m| β⁺| ⁶²Ni| 1+|||-| ⁶³Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 34| 62.92959712(46)| colspan=3 align=center|Stable| 3/2−| 0.6915(15)| |-| rowspan=2|⁶⁴Cu| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 35| rowspan=2|63.92976400(46)| rowspan=2|12.7004(13) h| β⁺ (61.52%)| ⁶⁴Ni| rowspan=2|1+| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β⁻ (38.48%)| ⁶⁴Zn|-| ⁶⁵Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 36| 64.92778948(69)| colspan=3 align=center|Stable| 3/2−| 0.3085(15)| |-| ⁶⁶Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 37| 65.92886880(70)| 5.120(14) min| β⁻| ⁶⁶Zn| 1+|||-| style="text-indent:1em" | ^66mCu| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 1154.2(14) keV| 600(17) ns| IT| ⁶⁸Cu| (6)−|||-| ⁶⁷Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 38| 66.92772949(96)| 61.83(12) h| β⁻| ⁶⁷Zn| 3/2−|||-| ⁶⁸Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 39| 67.9296109(17)| 30.9(6) s| β⁻| ⁶⁸Zn| 1+|||-| rowspan=2 style="text-indent:1em" | ^68mCu| rowspan=2 colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 721.26(8) keV| rowspan=2|3.75(5) min| IT (86%)| ⁶⁸Cu| rowspan=2|6−| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β⁻ (14%)| ⁶⁸Zn|-| ⁶⁹Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 40| 68.929429267(15)| 2.85(15) min| β⁻| ⁶⁹Zn| 3/2−|||-| style="text-indent:1em" | ^69mCu| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 2742.0(7) keV| 357(2) ns| IT| ⁶⁹Cu| (13/2+)|||-| ⁷⁰Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 41| 69.9323921(12)| 44.5(2) s| β⁻| ⁷⁰Zn| 6−|||-| rowspan=2 style="text-indent:1em" | ^70m1Cu| rowspan=2 colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 101.1(3) keV| rowspan=2|33(2) s| β⁻ (52%)| ⁷⁰Zn| rowspan=2|3−| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| IT (48%)| ⁷⁰Cu|-| rowspan=2 style="text-indent:1em" | ^70m2Cu| rowspan=2 colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 242.6(5) keV| rowspan=2|6.6(2) s| β⁻ (93.2%)| ⁷⁰Zn| rowspan=2|1+| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| IT (6.8%)| ⁷⁰Cu|-| ⁷¹Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 42| 70.9326768(16)| 19.4(14) s| β⁻| ⁷¹Zn| 3/2−|||-| style="text-indent:1em" | ^71mCu| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 2755.7(6) keV| 271(13) ns| IT| ⁷¹Cu| (19/2−)|||-| ⁷²Cu| style="text-align:right" | 29| style="text-align:right" | 43| 71.9358203(15)| 6.63(3) s| β⁻| ⁷²Zn| 2−|||-| style="text-indent:1em" | ^72mCu| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 270(3) keV| 1.76(3) μs| IT| ⁷²Cu| (6−)|||-| rowspan=2|⁷³Cu| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 44| rowspan=2|72.9366744(21)| rowspan=2|4.20(12) s| β⁻ (99.71%)| ⁷³Zn| rowspan=2|3/2−| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β⁻, n (0.29%)| ⁷²Zn|-| rowspan=2|⁷⁴Cu| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 45| rowspan=2|73.9398749(66)| rowspan=2|1.606(9) s| β⁻ (99.93%)| ⁷⁴Zn| rowspan=2|2−| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β⁻, n (0.075%)| ⁷³Zn|-| rowspan=2|⁷⁵Cu| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 46| rowspan=2|74.94152382(77)| rowspan=2|1.224(3) s| β⁻ (97.3%)| ⁷⁵Zn| rowspan=2|5/2−| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β⁻, n (2.7%)| ⁷⁴Zn|-| style="text-indent:1em" | ^75m1Cu| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 61.7(4) keV| 0.310(8) μs| IT| ⁷⁵Cu| 1/2−|||-| style="text-indent:1em" | ^75m2Cu| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 66.2(4) keV| 0.149(5) μs| IT| ⁷⁵Cu| 3/2−|||-| rowspan=2|⁷⁶Cu| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 47| rowspan=2|75.94526897(98)| rowspan=2|637.7(55) ms| β⁻ (92.8%)| ⁷⁶Zn| rowspan=2|3−| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β⁻, n (7.2%)| ⁷⁵Zn|-| rowspan=2|⁷⁷Cu| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 48| rowspan=2|76.9475436(13)| rowspan=2|470.3(17) ms| β⁻ (69.9%)| ⁷⁷Zn| rowspan=2|5/2−| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β⁻, n (30.1%)| ⁷⁶Zn|-| rowspan=3|⁷⁸Cu| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 49| rowspan=3|77.951917(14)| rowspan=3|330.7(20) ms| β⁻, n (50.6%)| ⁷⁷Zn| rowspan=3|(6−)| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3||-| β⁻ (49.4%)| ⁷⁸Zn|-| β⁻, 2n?| ⁷⁶Zn|-| rowspan=3|⁷⁹Cu| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 50| rowspan=3|78.95447(11)| rowspan=3|241.3(21) ms| β⁻, n (66%)| ⁷⁸Zn| rowspan=3|(5/2−)| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3||-| β⁻ (34%)| ⁷⁹Zn|-| β⁻, 2n?| ⁷⁷Zn|-| rowspan=3|⁸⁰Cu| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 51| rowspan=3|79.96062(32)#| rowspan=3|113.3(64) ms| β⁻, n (59%)| ⁷⁹Zn| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3||-| β⁻ (41%)| ⁸⁰Zn|-| β⁻, 2n?| ⁷⁸Zn|-| rowspan=3|⁸¹Cu| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 52| rowspan=3| 80.96574(32)#| rowspan=3| 73.2(68) ms| β⁻, n (81%)| ⁸⁰Zn| rowspan=3|5/2−#| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3||-| β⁻ (19%)| ⁸¹Zn|-| β⁻, 2n?| ⁷⁹Zn|-| rowspan=3|⁸²Cu| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 53| rowspan=3| 81.97238(43)#| rowspan=3| 34(7) ms| β⁻| ⁸²Zn| rowspan=3|5/2−#| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3||-| β⁻, n?| ⁸¹Zn|-| β⁻, 2n?| ⁸⁰Zn|-| rowspan=3|⁸³Cu| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 54| rowspan=3| 82.97811(54)#| rowspan=3| 21# ms [>410 ns]| β⁻?| ⁸³Zn| rowspan=3|5/2−#| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3||-| β⁻, n?| ⁸²Zn|-| β⁻, 2n?| ⁸¹Zn|-| rowspan=2|⁸⁴Cu^[1] | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 55| rowspan=2| 83.98527(54)#| rowspan=2|| β⁻?| ⁸⁴Zn| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β⁻, n?| ⁸⁴Zn|-

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.^[2]

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 Cu, Cu, Cu, and Cu for diagnostic purposes and Cu and Cu for targeted radiotherapy. For example, Cu has a longer half-life than most positron-emitters (12.7 hours) and is thus ideal for diagnostic PET imaging of biological molecules.^[3]

References

Isotope masses from:
- - Isotopic compositions and standard atomic masses from:
    - - Half-life, spin, and isomer data selected from the following sources.
        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 . . 64 . 12 . 1563–1573 . 10.1016/j.apradiso.2005.11.012 . 16377202 .

Notes and References

Shimizu . Y. . Kubo . T. . Sumikama . T. . Fukuda . N. . Takeda . H. . Suzuki . H. . Ahn . D. S. . Inabe . N. . Kusaka . K. . Ohtake . M. . Yanagisawa . Y. . Yoshida . K. . Ichikawa . Y. . Isobe . T. . Otsu . H. . Sato . H. . Sonoda . T. . Murai . D. . Iwasa . N. . Imai . N. . Hirayama . Y. . Jeong . S. C. . Kimura . S. . Miyatake . H. . Mukai . M. . Kim . D. G. . Kim . E. . Yagi . A. . Production of new neutron-rich isotopes near the N = 60 isotones Ge 92 and As 93 by in-flight fission of a 345 MeV/nucleon U 238 beam . Physical Review C . 8 April 2024 . 109 . 4 . 10.1103/PhysRevC.109.044313.
Web site: (Cu) Copper NMR .
Harris, M. "Clarity uses a cutting-edge imaging technique to guide drug development". Nature Biotechnology September 2014: 34