Isotopes of bismuth

Bismuth (Bi) has no stable isotopes, but does have one very long-lived isotope; thus, the relative atomic mass can be given as 208.9803987(16). Although bismuth-209 is now known to be unstable, it has classically been considered to be a "stable" isotope because it has a half-life of over 1.9×10¹⁹ years, which is more than a billion (1000 million) times the age of the universe. Besides ²⁰⁹Bi, the most stable bismuth radioisotopes are ^210mBi with a half-life of 3.04 million years, ²⁰⁸Bi with a half-life of 368,000 years and ²⁰⁷Bi, with a half-life of 32.9 years, none of which occur in nature. All other isotopes have half-lives under 1 year, most under a day. Of naturally occurring radioisotopes, the most stable is radiogenic ²¹⁰Bi with a half-life of 5.012 days.

Commercially the radioactive isotope bismuth-213 can be produced by bombarding radium with bremsstrahlung photons from a linear particle accelerator. In 1997 an antibody conjugate with Bi-213, which has a 45-minute half-life, and decays with the emission of an alpha-particle, was used to treat patients with leukemia. This isotope has also been tried in cancer treatment, e.g. in the Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT) program.^[1] Bismuth-213 is also found on the decay chain of uranium-233.

Table

nuclide symbol	historic name	Z(p)	N(n)	isotopic mass (u)	half-life[n 1]	decay mode(s)[2][n 2]	daughter isotope(s)[n 3]	nuclear spin	representative isotopic composition (mole fraction)	range of natural variation (mole fraction)
		excitation energy
^184Bi		83	101	184.00112(14)#	6.6(15) ms			3+#
^184mBi		150(100)# keV			13(2) ms			10−#
^185Bi		83	102	184.99763(6)#	2# ms	p	^184Pb	9/2−#
						α (rare)	^181Tl
^185mBi		70(50)# keV			49(7) µs	α	^181Tl	1/2+
						p	^184Pb
^186Bi		83	103	185.99660(8)	14.8(7) ms	α	^182Tl	(3+)
						β^+ (rare)	^186Pb
^186mBi		270(140)# keV			9.8(4) ms	α	^182Tl	(10−)
						β^+	^186Pb
^187Bi		83	104	186.993158(16)	32(3) ms	α (50%)	^183Tl	9/2−#
						β^+ (50%)	^187Pb
^187m1Bi		101(20) keV			320(70) µs			1/2+#
^187m2Bi		252(1) keV			7(5) µs			(13/2+)
^188Bi		83	105	187.99227(5)	44(3) ms	α	^184Tl	3+#
						β^+ (rare)	^188Pb
^188mBi		210(140)# keV			220(40) ms	α	^184Tl	(10−)
						β^+ (rare)	^188Pb
^189Bi		83	106	188.98920(6)	674(11) ms	α (51%)	^185Tl	(9/2−)
						β^+ (49%)	^189Pb
^189m1Bi		181(6) keV			5.0(1) ms			(1/2+)
^189m2Bi		357(1) keV			880(50) ns			(13/2+)
^190Bi		83	107	189.9883(2)	6.3(1) s	α (77%)	^186Tl	(3+)
						β^+ (30%)	^190Pb
^190m1Bi		420(180) keV			6.2(1) s	α (70%)	^186Tl	(10−)
						β^+ (23%)	^190Pb
^190m2Bi		690(180) keV			>500(100) ns			7+#
^191Bi		83	108	190.985786(8)	12.3(3) s	α (60%)	^187Tl	(9/2−)
						β^+ (40%)	^191Pb
^191mBi		240(4) keV			124(5) ms	α (75%)	^187Tl	(1/2+)
						β^+ (25%)	^191Pb
^192Bi		83	109	191.98546(4)	34.6(9) s	β^+ (82%)	^192Pb	(3+)
						α (18%)	^188Tl
^192mBi		150(30) keV			39.6(4) s	β^+ (90.8%)	^192Pb	(10−)
						α (9.2%)	^188Tl
^193Bi		83	110	192.98296(1)	67(3) s	β^+ (95%)	^193Pb	(9/2−)
						α (5%)	^189Tl
^193mBi		308(7) keV			3.2(6) s	α (90%)	^189Tl	(1/2+)
						β^+ (10%)	^193Pb
^194Bi		83	111	193.98283(5)	95(3) s	β^+ (99.54%)	^194Pb	(3+)
						α (.46%)	^190Tl
^194m1Bi		110(70) keV			125(2) s	β^+	^194Pb	(6+,7+)
						α (rare)	^190Tl
^194m2Bi		230(90)# keV			115(4) s			(10−)
^195Bi		83	112	194.980651(6)	183(4) s	β^+ (99.97%)	^195Pb	(9/2−)
						α (.03%)	^191Tl
^195m1Bi		399(6) keV			87(1) s	β^+ (67%)	^195Pb	(1/2+)
						α (33%)	^191Tl
^195m2Bi		2311.4+X keV			750(50) ns			(29/2−)
^196Bi		83	113	195.980667(26)	5.1(2) min	β^+ (99.99%)	^196Pb	(3+)
						α (.00115%)	^192Tl
^196m1Bi		166.6(30) keV			0.6(5) s	IT	^196Bi	(7+)
						β^+	^196Pb
^196m2Bi		270(3) keV			4.00(5) min			(10−)
^197Bi		83	114	196.978864(9)	9.33(50) min	β^+ (99.99%)	^197Pb	(9/2−)
						α (10^−4%)	^193Tl
^197m1Bi		690(110) keV			5.04(16) min	α (55%)	^193Tl	(1/2+)
						β^+ (45%)	^197Pb
						IT (.3%)	^197Bi
^197m2Bi		2129.3(4) keV			204(18) ns			(23/2−)
^197m3Bi		2360.4(5)+X keV			263(13) ns			(29/2−)
^197m4Bi		2383.1(7)+X keV			253(39) ns			(29/2−)
^197m5Bi		2929.5(5) keV			209(30) ns			(31/2−)
^198Bi		83	115	197.97921(3)	10.3(3) min	β^+	^198Pb	(2+,3+)
^198m1Bi		280(40) keV			11.6(3) min	β^+	^198Pb	(7+)
^198m2Bi		530(40) keV			7.7(5) s			10−
^199Bi		83	116	198.977672(13)	27(1) min	β^+	^199Pb	9/2−
^199m1Bi		667(4) keV			24.70(15) min	β^+ (98%)	^199Pb	(1/2+)
						IT (2%)	^199Bi
						α (.01%)	^195Tl
^199m2Bi		1947(25) keV			0.10(3) µs			(25/2+)
^199m3Bi		~2547.0 keV			168(13) ns			29/2−
^200Bi		83	117	199.978132(26)	36.4(5) min	β^+	^200Pb	7+
^200m1Bi		100(70)# keV			31(2) min	EC (90%)	^200Pb	(2+)
						IT (10%)	^200Bi
^200m2Bi		428.20(10) keV			400(50) ms			(10−)
^201Bi		83	118	200.977009(16)	108(3) min	β^+ (99.99%)	^201Pb	9/2−
						α (10^−4%)	^197Tl
^201m1Bi		846.34(21) keV			59.1(6) min	EC (92.9%)	^201Pb	1/2+
						IT (6.8%)	^201Bi
						α (.3%)	^197Tl
^201m2Bi		1932.2+X keV			118(28) ns			(25/2+)
^201m3Bi		1971.2+X keV			105(75) ns			(27/2+)
^201m4Bi		2739.90(20)+X keV			124(4) ns			(29/2−)
^202Bi		83	119	201.977742(22)	1.72(5) h	β^+	^202Pb	5(+#)
						α (10^−5%)	^198Tl
^202m1Bi		615(7) keV			3.04(6) µs			(10#)−
^202m2Bi		2607.1(5) keV			310(50) ns			(17+)
^203Bi		83	120	202.976876(23)	11.76(5) h	β^+	^203Pb	9/2−
						α (10^−5%)	^199Tl
^203m1Bi		1098.14(7) keV			303(5) ms	IT	^203Bi	1/2+
^203m2Bi		2041.5(6) keV			194(30) ns			25/2+
^204Bi		83	121	203.977813(28)	11.22(10) h	β^+	^204Pb	6+
^204m1Bi		805.5(3) keV			13.0(1) ms	IT	^204Bi	10−
^204m2Bi		2833.4(11) keV			1.07(3) ms			(17+)
^205Bi		83	122	204.977389(8)	15.31(4) d	β^+	^205Pb	9/2−
^206Bi		83	123	205.978499(8)	6.243(3) d	β^+	^206Pb	6(+)
^206m1Bi		59.897(17) keV			7.7(2) µs			(4+)
^206m2Bi		1044.8(5) keV			890(10) µs			(10−)
^207Bi		83	124	206.9784707(26)	32.9(14) y	β^+	^207Pb	9/2−
^207mBi		2101.49(16) keV			182(6) µs			21/2+
^208Bi		83	125	207.9797422(25)	3.68(4)×10^5 y	β^+	^208Pb	(5)+
^208mBi		1571.1(4) keV			2.58(4) ms	IT	^208Bi	(10)−
^209Bi[n 4][n 5]		83	126	208.9803987(16)	1.9(2)×10^19 y[n 6]	α	^205Tl	9/2−	1.0000
^210Bi	Radium E	83	127	209.9841204(16)	5.012(5) d	β^−	^210Po	1−	Trace[n 7]
						α (1.32×10^−4%)	^206Tl
^210mBi		271.31(11) keV			3.04(6)×10^6 y	α	^206Tl	9−
^211Bi	Actinium C	83	128	210.987269(6)	2.14(2) min	α (99.72%)	^207Tl	9/2−	Trace[n 8]
						β^− (.276%)	^211Po
^211mBi		1257(10) keV			1.4(3) µs			(25/2−)
^212Bi	Thorium C	83	129	211.9912857(21)	60.55(6) min	β^− (64.05%)	^212Po	1(−)	Trace[n 9]
						α (35.94%)	^208Tl
						β^−, α (.014%)	^208Pb
^212m1Bi		250(30) keV			25.0(2) min	α (67%)	^208Tl	(9−)
						β^− (33%)	^212mPo
						β^−, α (.3%)	^208Pb
^212m2Bi		2200(200)# keV			7.0(3) min			>15
^213Bi[n 10]		83	130	212.994385(5)	45.59(6) min	β^− (97.91%)	^213Po	9/2−
						α (2.09%)	^209Tl
^214Bi	Radium C	83	131	213.998712(12)	19.9(4) min	β^− (99.97%)	^214Po	1−	Trace[n 7]
						α (.021%)	^210Tl
						β^−, α (.003%)	^210Pb
^215Bi		83	132	215.001770(16)	7.6(2) min	β^−	^215Po	(9/2−)	Trace[n 8]
^215mBi		1347.5(25) keV			36.4(25) min			(25/2−)
^216Bi		83	133	216.006306(12)	2.17(5) min	β^−	^216Po	1−#
^217Bi		83	134	217.00947(21)#	98.5(8) s			9/2−#
^218Bi		83	135	218.01432(39)#	33(1) s			1−#

1. Bold for isotopes with half-lives longer than the age of the universe (nearly stable)
2. Abbreviations:
   EC: Electron capture
   IT: Isomeric transition
3. Bold for stable isotopes
4. Formerly believed to be final decay product of 4n+1 decay chain
5. Primordial radioisotope, also some is radiogenic from the extinct nuclide ²³⁷Np
6. Formerly believed to be the heaviest stable nuclide
7. Intermediate decay product of ²³⁸U
8. Intermediate decay product of ²³⁵U
9. Intermediate decay product of ²³²Th
10. Used in medicine

Notes

• Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from systematic trends. Spins with weak assignment arguments are enclosed in parentheses.
• Uncertainties are given in concise form in parentheses after the corresponding last digits. Uncertainty values denote one standard deviation, except isotopic composition and standard atomic mass from IUPAC, which use expanded uncertainties.

See also

References

1. Imam, S (2001). "Advancements in cancer therapy with alpha-emitters: a review". International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics. 51: 271. doi:10.1016/S0360-3016(01)01585-1.
2. "Universal Nuclide Chart". nucleonica. (registration required (help)).

• Isotope masses from:
  • G. Audi; A. H. Wapstra; C. Thibault; J. Blachot; O. Bersillon (2003). "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties" (PDF). 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:
  • J. R. de Laeter; J. K. Böhlke; P. De Bièvre; H. Hidaka; H. S. Peiser; K. J. R. Rosman; P. D. P. Taylor (2003). "Atomic weights of the elements. Review 2000 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 75 (6): 683–800. doi:10.1351/pac200375060683.
  • M. E. Wieser (2006). "Atomic weights of the elements 2005 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 78 (11): 2051–2066. doi:10.1351/pac200678112051. Lay summary.
• Half-life, spin, and isomer data selected from the following sources. See editing notes on this article's talk page.
  • G. Audi; A. H. Wapstra; C. Thibault; J. Blachot; O. Bersillon (2003). "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties" (PDF). Nuclear Physics A. 729: 3–128. Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A. doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001.
  • National Nuclear Data Center. "NuDat 2.1 database". Brookhaven National Laboratory. Retrieved September 2005. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  • N. E. Holden (2004). "Table of the Isotopes". In D. R. Lide. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (85th ed.). CRC Press. Section 11. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9.