Nuclear magnetic resonance/Catalogs/Magnetic nuclei

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) spectroscopy both exploit magnetically active atomic nuclei. That is, those elements with non-zero nuclear spin (I). Although nuclear spin (or angular momentum) is listed as a single variable, it is the sum of the individual angular momenta of all protons and neutrons. In general, all atoms whose numbers of protons and numbers of neutroms are not both even will be magnetically active because the spins of the individual nucleons do not cancel each other out completely. When placed in a very strong magnet these atomic nuclei will have 2I+1 energy states whose energy differences are dependent on the strength of the magnetic field. In the simplest case where the nuclear spin = 1/2, the spin can be aligned with or against the field. By exciting the nuclei with energy, typically in the radio frequency range of the electromagnetic spectrum, the lowest energy state is excited to a higher energy state. A signal, call the free induction decay (FID) is then measured as the excited state relaxes back to the lower energy state. The table below lists the isotope(s) of elements that have nuclear spin and therefore may be used in NMR or MRI spectroscopy. Only three chemical elements with atomic numbers less than Bismuth (Z=81) do not have magnetically active isotopes: Argon, Cesium and Promethium.

NOTE: All nuclear spins are positive. Negative spin values shown below indicate that the gyromagnetic ratio has a negative value, which means that the atomic magnetic moment and the nuclear spin are aligned antiparallel to each other. For nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopists designing complex excitation schemes, it is convenient to think of such atoms as having negative nuclear spins because, compared to atoms with positive gyromagnetic ratios, the nuclei align in the opposite direction and therefore also precess (rotate) about the magnetic field in the opposite direction.

Element/Name	Isotope Symbol	Nuclear Spin	Sensitivity vs. 1H
Hydrogen	1H	1/2	1.000000
Deuterium	2H or D	1	1.44 e-6
Tritium	3H	1/2	-
Helium-3	3He	-1/2	-
Lithium-6	6Li	1	0.000628
Lithium-7	7Li	3/2	0.270175
Beryllium-9	9Be	-3/2	0.013825
Boron-10	10B	3	0.00386
Boron-11	11B	3/2	0.132281
Carbon-13	13C	1/2	0.000175
Nitrogen-14	14N	1	0.000998
Nitrogen-15	15N	-1/2	3.84E-06
Oxygen-17	17O	-5/2	1.07E-05
Fluorine-19	19F	1/2	0.829825
Neon-21	21Ne	-3/2	6.3E-06
Sodium-23	23Na	3/2	0.092105
Magnesium-25	25Mg	-5/2	0.00027
Aluminum-27	27Al	5/2	0.205263
Silicon-29	29Si	-1/2	0.000367
Phosphorus-31	31P	1/2	0.06614
Sulfur-33	33S	3/2	1.71E-05
Chlorine-33	33Cl	3/2	0.003544
Chlorine-37	37Cl	3/2	0.000661
Potassium-39	39K	3/2	0.000472
Potassium-41	41K	3/2	5.75E-06
Calcium-43	43K	-7/2	9.25E-06
Scandium-45	45Sc	7/2	0.3
Titanium-47	47Ti	-5/2	0.00015
Titanium-49	49Ti	-7/2	0.00021
Vanadium-50	50V	6	0.00013
Vanadium-51	51V	7/2	0.37895
Chromium-53	53Cr	-3/2	8.6E-05
Manganese-55	55Mn	5/2	0.174386
Iron-57	57Fe	1/2	7.37E-07
Cobolt-59	59Co	7/2	0.275439
Nickel-61	61Ni	-3/2	4.21E-05
Copper-63	63Cu	3/2	0.064035
Copper-65	65Cu	3/2	0.035263
Zinc-67	67Zn	5/2	0.000117
Gallium-69	69Ga	3/2	0.041579
Gallium-71	71Ga	3/2	0.055965
Germanium-73	73Ge	-9/2	0.000108
Arsenic-75	75As	3/2	0.025088
Selenium-77	77Se	1/2	0.000523
Bromine-79	79Br	3/2	0.039649
Bromine-81	81Br	3/2	0.048596
Krypton-83	83Kr	-9/2	0.000216
Rubidium-85	85Rb	5/2	0.007544
Rubidium-87	87Rb	3/2	0.048596
Strontium-87	87Sr	-9/2	0.000188
Yttrium-89	89Y	-1/2	0.00012
Zirconium-91	91Zr	-5/2	0.00106
Niobium-93	93Nb	9/2	0.4807
Molybdenum-95	95Mo	5/2	0.00051
Molybdenum-97	97Mo	-5/2	0.00032
Technetium-99	99Tc	9/2	0.374386
Ruthenium-99	99Ru	-5/2	0.000146
Ruthenium-101	101Ru	-5/2	0.000274
Rhodium-103	103Rh	-1/2	3.11E-05
Paladium-105	105Pd	-5/2	0.000247
Silver-107	107Ag	-1/2	3.245E-05
Silver-109	109Ag	-1/2	4.84E-05
Cadmium-111	111Cd	-1/2	0.001216
Cadmium-113	113Cd	-1/2	0.001313
Indium-113	113In	9/2	0.014702
Indium-115	113In	9/2	0.331579
Tin-117	117Sn	-1/2	0.003428
Tin-119	119Sn	-1/2	0.004421
Antimony-121	121Sb	5/2	0.091228
Antimony-123	123Sb	7/2	0.019474
Tellurium-123	123Te	-1/2	0.000156
Tellurium-125	125Te	5/2	0.002193
Iodine-127	127I	5/2	0.092982
Xenon-129	129Xe	-1/2	0.005579
Xenon-131	131Xe	3/2	0.000581
Cesium-133	133Cs	7/2	0.047193
Barium-135	135Ba	3/2	0.000316
Barium-137	137Ba	3/2	0.000774
Lanthinum-139	139La	7/2	0.05895
Praseodymium-141	141Pr	5/2	0.29825
Neodymium-143	143Nd	-7/2	0.0004
Neodymium-145	145Nd	-7/2	6.5E-05
Samarium-147	147Sm	-7/2	2.21E-05
Samarium-149	147Sm	-7/2	0.000104
Europium-151	151Eu	5/2	0.084211
Europium-153	153Eu	5/2	0.007895
Gadolidium-155	155Gd	-3/2	0.03.51E-05
Gadolidium-157	157Gd	-3/2	8.42E-05
Terbium-159	159Tb	3/2	0.057895
Dysprosium-161	161Dy	-5/2	7.95E-05
Dysprosium-163	163Dy	5/2	0.000281
Holmium-165	165Ho	7/2	0.175439
Erbiumm-167	167Er	-7/2	0.000116
Thulium-169	169Tm	-1/2	0.000561
Ytterbium-171	171Yb	1/2	0.000711
Ytterbium-173	173Yb	-5/2	0.0002
Lutetium-175	175Lu	7/2	0.027386
Lutetium-176	176Lu	7	0.000902
Halfnium-177	177Hf	7/2	0.00015
Halfnium-179	179Hf	-9/2	4.7E-05
Tantalum-181	181Ta	7/2	0.03579
Tungsten-183	183W	1/2	1E-05
Rhenium-185	185Re	5/2	0.049123
Rhenium-187	187Re	5/2	0.085965
Osmium-187	187Os	1/2	2E-07
Osmium-189	189Os	3/2	0.000374
Iridium-191	191Ir	3/2	4E-06
Iridium-193	193Ir	3/2	8.77E-06
Platinum-195	195Pt	1/2	0.003351
Gold-197	197Au	3/2	1.05E-05
Mercury-199	199Hg	1/2	0.000951
Mercury-201	201Hg	-3/2	0.000189
Titanium-203	203Ti	1/2	0.050702
Titanium-205	205Ti	1/2	0.134912
Lead-207	207Pb	1/2	0.00207
Bismuth-209	209Bi	9/2	0.136316
Uranium-235	235Ur	-7/2	-
Plutonium-239	239Pu	1/2	-
Americium-243	243Am	5/2	-

Further Reading

Nuclear magnetic resonance Nuclear spin