Isotopes of neon

Isotope data
neon symbol icon

The three Neon isotopes are used for various purposes. Ne-22 is used for the production of the medical radioisotope Na-22. Ne-20 can be used for the production of F-18, although the route via O-18 is by far the most commonly used. Ne-21 has been used in Masers to study quantum physics. Neon isotopes can be obtained from Trace Sciences International.

Naturally occurring isotopes

This table shows information about naturally occuring isotopes, their atomic masses, their natural abundances, their nuclear spins, and their magnetic moments. Further data for radioisotopes (radioactive isotopes) of neon are listed (including any which occur naturally) below.
Isotope Atomic mass (ma/u) Natural abundance (atom %) Nuclear spin (I) Magnetic moment (μ/μN)
20Ne 19.9924356 (22) 90.48 (3) 0 0
21Ne 20.9938428 (21) 0.27 (1) 3/2 -0.661796
22Ne 21.9913831 (18) 9.25 (3) 0 0

Isotopic abundances of Ne
In the above picture, the most intense ion is set to 100% since this corresponds best to the output from a mass spectrometer. This is not to be confused with the relative percentage isotope abundances which total 100% for all the naturally occurring isotopes.

Radiosotope data

Further data for naturally occuring isotopes of neon are listed above. This table gives information about some radiosotopes of neon, their masses, their half-lives, their modes of decay, their nuclear spins, and their nuclear magnetic moments.
Isotope Mass Half-life Mode of decay Nuclear spin Nuclear magnetic moment
18Ne 18.005710 1.67 s EC to 18F 0
19Ne 19.001880 17.22 s EC to 19F 1/2 -1.885
23Ne 22.994465 37.2 s β- to 23Na 3/2 -1.08
24Ne 23.993613 3.38 m β- to 24Na 0
25Ne 24.99769 0.61 s β- to 25Na 1/2

Sheffield ChemPuter isotope pattern calculator

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References

  1. Naturally occurring isotope abundances: Commission on Atomic Weights and Isotopic Abundances report for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry in Isotopic Compositions of the Elements 1989, Pure and Applied Chemistry, 1998, 70, 217. [Copyright 1998 IUPAC]
  2. Masses, nuclear spins, and magnetic moments: I. Mills, T. Cvitas, K. Homann, N. Kallay, and K. Kuchitsu in Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, UK, 1988. [Copyright 1988 IUPAC]
  3. For further information about radioisotopes see Jonghwa Chang's (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) Table of the Nuclides

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neon atomic number