Isotopes of copper (₂₉Cu)

Main isotopes^[1]			Decay
	abundance	half-life (t_1/2)	mode	product
⁶³Cu	69.2%	stable
⁶⁴Cu	synth	12.70 h	β⁺	⁶⁴Ni
⁶⁴Cu	synth	12.70 h	β⁻	⁶⁴Zn
⁶⁵Cu	30.9%	stable
⁶⁷Cu	synth	61.83 h	β⁻	⁶⁷Zn

Standard atomic weight A_r°(Cu)

63.546±0.003^[2]
63.546±0.003 (abridged)^[3]

Copper (₂₉Cu) has two stable isotopes, ⁶³Cu and ⁶⁵Cu, along with 27 radioisotopes. The most stable radioisotope is ⁶⁷Cu with a half-life of 61.83 hours, while the least stable is ⁵⁴Cu with a half-life of approximately 75 ns. Most 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⁻.^[4]

⁶⁸Cu, ⁶⁹Cu, ⁷¹Cu, ⁷²Cu, and ⁷⁶Cu each have one metastable isomer. ⁷⁰Cu has two isomers, making a total of 7 distinct isomers. The most stable of these is ^68mCu with a half-life of 3.75 minutes. The least stable is ^69mCu with a half-life of 360 ns.^[4]

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.^[5]

List of isotopes

Nuclide ^{[n 1]}	Z	N	Isotopic mass (Da) ^{[n 2]}^{[n 3]}	Half-life	Decay mode ^{[n 4]}	Daughter isotope ^{[n 5]}	Spin and parity ^{[n 6]}^{[n 7]}	Natural abundance (mole fraction)
Nuclide ^{[n 1]}	Excitation energy^{[n 7]}			Half-life	Decay mode ^{[n 4]}	Daughter isotope ^{[n 5]}	Spin and parity ^{[n 6]}^{[n 7]}	Normal proportion	Range of variation
⁵²Cu	29	23	51.99718(28)#		p	⁵¹Ni	(3+)#
⁵³Cu	29	24	52.98555(28)#	<300 ns	p	⁵²Ni	(3/2−)#
⁵⁴Cu	29	25	53.97671(23)#	<75 ns	p	⁵³Ni	(3+)#
⁵⁵Cu	29	26	54.96605(32)#	40# ms [>200 ns]	β⁺	⁵⁵Ni	3/2−#
⁵⁵Cu	29	26	54.96605(32)#	40# ms [>200 ns]	p	⁵⁴Ni	3/2−#
⁵⁶Cu	29	27	55.95856(15)#	93(3) ms	β⁺	⁵⁶Ni	(4+)
⁵⁷Cu	29	28	56.949211(17)	196.3(7) ms	β⁺	⁵⁷Ni	3/2−
⁵⁸Cu	29	29	57.9445385(17)	3.204(7) s	β⁺	⁵⁸Ni	1+
⁵⁹Cu	29	30	58.9394980(8)	81.5(5) s	β⁺	⁵⁹Ni	3/2−
⁶⁰Cu	29	31	59.9373650(18)	23.7(4) min	β⁺	⁶⁰Ni	2+
⁶¹Cu	29	32	60.9334578(11)	3.333(5) h	β⁺	⁶¹Ni	3/2−
⁶²Cu	29	33	61.932584(4)	9.673(8) min	β⁺	⁶²Ni	1+
⁶³Cu	29	34	62.9295975(6)	Stable			3/2−	0.6915(15)	0.68983–0.69338
⁶⁴Cu	29	35	63.9297642(6)	12.700(2) h	β⁺ (61%)	⁶⁴Ni	1+
⁶⁴Cu	29	35	63.9297642(6)	12.700(2) h	β⁻ (39%)	⁶⁴Zn	1+
⁶⁵Cu	29	36	64.9277895(7)	Stable			3/2−	0.3085(15)	0.30662–0.31017
⁶⁶Cu	29	37	65.9288688(7)	5.120(14) min	β⁻	⁶⁶Zn	1+
⁶⁷Cu	29	38	66.9277303(13)	61.83(12) h	β⁻	⁶⁷Zn	3/2−
⁶⁸Cu	29	39	67.9296109(17)	31.1(15) s	β⁻	⁶⁸Zn	1+
^68mCu	721.6(7) keV			3.75(5) min	IT (84%)	⁶⁸Cu	(6−)
^68mCu	721.6(7) keV			3.75(5) min	β⁻ (16%)	⁶⁸Zn	(6−)
⁶⁹Cu	29	40	68.9294293(15)	2.85(15) min	β⁻	⁶⁹Zn	3/2−
^69mCu	2741.8(10) keV			360(30) ns			(13/2+)
⁷⁰Cu	29	41	69.9323923(17)	44.5(2) s	β⁻	⁷⁰Zn	(6−)
^70m1Cu	101.1(3) keV			33(2) s	β⁻	⁷⁰Zn	(3−)
^70m2Cu	242.6(5) keV			6.6(2) s			1+
⁷¹Cu	29	42	70.9326768(16)	19.4(14) s	β⁻	⁷¹Zn	(3/2−)
^71mCu	2756(10) keV			271(13) ns			(19/2−)
⁷²Cu	29	43	71.9358203(15)	6.6(1) s	β⁻	⁷²Zn	(1+)
^72mCu	270(3) keV			1.76(3) µs			(4−)
⁷³Cu	29	44	72.936675(4)	4.2(3) s	β⁻ (>99.9%)	⁷³Zn	(3/2−)
⁷³Cu	29	44	72.936675(4)	4.2(3) s	β⁻, n (<.1%)	⁷²Zn	(3/2−)
⁷⁴Cu	29	45	73.939875(7)	1.594(10) s	β⁻	⁷⁴Zn	(1+, 3+)
⁷⁵Cu	29	46	74.94190(105)	1.224(3) s	β⁻ (96.5%)	⁷⁵Zn	(3/2−)#
⁷⁵Cu	29	46	74.94190(105)	1.224(3) s	β⁻, n (3.5%)	⁷⁴Zn	(3/2−)#
⁷⁶Cu	29	47	75.945275(7)	641(6) ms	β⁻ (97%)	⁷⁶Zn	(3, 5)
⁷⁶Cu	29	47	75.945275(7)	641(6) ms	β⁻, n (3%)	⁷⁵Zn	(3, 5)
^76mCu	0(200)# keV			1.27(30) s	β⁻	⁷⁶Zn	(1, 3)
⁷⁷Cu	29	48	76.94785(43)#	469(8) ms	β⁻	⁷⁷Zn	3/2−#
⁷⁸Cu	29	49	77.95196(43)#	342(11) ms	β⁻	⁷⁸Zn
⁷⁹Cu	29	50	78.95456(54)#	188(25) ms	β⁻, n (55%)	⁷⁸Zn	3/2−#
⁷⁹Cu	29	50	78.95456(54)#	188(25) ms	β⁻ (45%)	⁷⁹Zn	3/2−#
⁸⁰Cu	29	51	79.96087(64)#	100# ms [>300 ns]	β⁻	⁸⁰Zn
This table header & footer: view

^ ^mCu – Excited nuclear isomer.
^ ( ) – 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).
^ Modes of decay:

IT: Isomeric transition

n: Neutron emission

p: Proton emission
^ Bold symbol as daughter – Daughter product is stable.
^ ( ) spin value – Indicates spin with weak assignment arguments.
^ ^a ^b # – Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from trends of neighboring nuclides (TNN).

Medical applications

Copper offers a relatively large number of radioisotopes that are potentially suitable for use in nuclear medicine.

There is a 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.^[6]

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.
^ "Standard Atomic Weights: Copper". CIAAW. 1969.
^ Prohaska, Thomas; Irrgeher, Johanna; Benefield, Jacqueline; et al. (2022-05-04). "Standard atomic weights of the elements 2021 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. doi:10.1515/pac-2019-0603. ISSN 1365-3075.
^ ^a ^b 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
^ "(Cu) Copper NMR".
^ Harris, M. "Clarity uses a cutting-edge imaging technique to guide drug development". Nature Biotechnology September 2014: 34

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.