Deuterium and hydrogen are both isotopes of hydrogen, but they differ in the number of neutrons in their atomic nuclei. The main differences between deuterium and hydrogen are:
- Number of Neutrons: Hydrogen (protium) has no neutrons in its atomic nucleus, while deuterium has one neutron.
- Mass: Due to the presence of an additional neutron in deuterium, its mass number is 2, compared to hydrogen's mass number of 1.
- NMR Frequency: Deuterium's NMR frequency is significantly different from that of common light hydrogen, which allows for easy differentiation between the two using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
- Infrared Spectroscopy: Infrared spectroscopy can also differentiate many deuterated compounds due to the large difference in IR absorption frequency seen in the vibration of a chemical bond versus light hydrogen.
- Physical Properties: Deuterium compounds can exhibit significant kinetic isotope effects. For example, D2O (heavy water) is more viscous than H2O (water).
- Chemical Properties: Bonds involving deuterium and tritium are somewhat stronger than the corresponding bonds in protium (common hydrogen). These differences are large enough to cause significant changes in biological reactions.
Comparative Table: Deuterium vs Hydrogen
Here is a table comparing the differences between deuterium and hydrogen:
Property | Hydrogen | Deuterium |
---|---|---|
Symbol | H | D or 2H |
Mass Number | 1 | 2 |
Neutrons | 0 | 1 |
Atomic Weight | 1.007947 | 2.014102 |
Chemical Properties | Similar, but deuterium exhibits kinetic isotope effect and different bond energy and bond length | Similar, but deuterium can be identified using NMR, IR, and mass spectroscopy |
Nuclear Properties | One proton and no neutrons | One proton and one neutron |
Stability | Stable | Stable |
Occurrence in Nature | Most abundant form of hydrogen | Present in 0.0156% of hydrogen on Earth's surface |
Hydrogen and deuterium are both isotopes of hydrogen, which is the first and smallest element in the periodic table. They have similar chemical properties, but deuterium exhibits a kinetic isotope effect and has different bond energy and bond length. Deuterium can be identified and distinguished from hydrogen using NMR, IR, and mass spectroscopy.
Read more
- Deuterium vs Hydrogen
- Deuterium vs Tritium
- Protium vs Deuterium
- Hydrogen vs Helium
- Hydrogen vs Oxygen
- Hydrogen Atom vs Hydrogen Ion
- Deuteron vs Triton
- Hydronium Ion vs Hydrogen Ion
- Atomic Hydrogen vs Nascent Hydrogen
- Molecular vs Metallic Hydrogen
- Hydrogen vs Helium Emission Spectra
- Helium vs Oxygen
- Grey Blue vs Green Hydrogen
- Hydrogen Water vs Alkaline Water
- Hydrogen vs Atomic Bomb
- Dihydrogen Monoxide vs Water
- Proton vs Neutron
- Ortho vs Para Hydrogen
- Hydration vs Hydrogenation
- Hydrogenation vs Hydrogenolysis