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Isotopes of Plutonium

List, data and properties of all known isotopes of Plutonium.

Content
Atomic properties
Decay properties
NMR active nuclides
Radiation protection
References
Plutonium isotopes

All atomic nuclei of the chemical element plutonium are summarized under plutonium isotopes; these all consist of an atomic nucleus with 94 protons and, in the uncharged state, 94 electrons. The difference between the individual plutonium isotopes is based on the number of neutrons in the nucleus.

Apart from extremely small traces of plutonium, for example in uranium deposits, plutonium can be described as an artificially produced, synthetic element. Technically available and usable plutonium isotopes therefore come from nuclear reactors fueled by uranium-238 (Pu-239); further Pu nuclides can be represented from this by further neutron capture.

Plutonium-238 was the first isotope to be isolated and described in 1940.

 

Isotope Table: Plutonium

The two following tables list the most important data and properties of the Plutonium isotopes. Further information on the individual Plutonium isotopes is listed on separate pages and can be accessed via the link in column 1.

 

Atomic Properties

Isotope
Nuclide		ENAtomic Mass
[Nuclear Mass]
{Mass Excess}		Spin I
(h/2π)		Parent
123456
Plutonium-22822894Pu134228.03874(3) u
[227.9871805 u]
{36.08608 MeV}		0+
Plutonium-22922994Pu135229.040150(70) u
[228.9885905 u]
{37.39948 MeV}		(3/2+)233Cm
Plutonium-23023094Pu136230.039651(16) u
[229.9880915 u]
{36.93467 MeV}		0+
Plutonium-23123194Pu137231.041126(24) u
[230.9895665 u]
{38.30862 MeV}		(3/2+)
Plutonium-23223294Pu138232.041185(19) u
[231.9896255 u]
{38.36358 MeV}		0+
Plutonium-23323394Pu139233.043000(60) u
[232.9914405 u]
{40.05424 MeV}		233Am
Plutonium-23423494Pu140234.043317(7) u
[233.9917575 u]
{40.34953 MeV}		0+238Cm
234Am
Plutonium-23523594Pu141235.045285(22) u
[234.9937255 u]
{42.18271 MeV}		(5/2+)235Am
Plutonium-23623694Pu142236.0460568(19) u
[235.9944973 u]
{42.90163 MeV}		0+236Am
236Np
240Cm
Plutonium-23723794Pu143237.0484080(18) u
[236.9968485 u]
{45.09176 MeV}		7/2-237Am
241Cm
Plutonium-237m1237m194Pu143237.0484080(18) u
[236.9968485 u]
{45.09176 MeV}		1/2+
Plutonium-237m2237m294Pu143237.0484080(18) u
[236.9968485 u]
{45.09176 MeV}
Plutonium-23823894Pu144238.0495582(12) u
[237.9979987 u]
{46.16317 MeV}		0+238Am
238Np
242Cm
Plutonium-23923994Pu145239.0521617(12) u
[239.0006022 u]
{48.58831 MeV}		1/2+239Am
239Np
243Cm
Plutonium-239m1239m194Pu145239.0521617(12) u
[239.0006022 u]
{48.58831 MeV}		7/2-
Plutonium-239m2239m294Pu145239.0521617(12) u
[239.0006022 u]
{48.58831 MeV}		(5/2+)
Plutonium-24024094Pu146240.0538118(12) u
[240.0022523 u]
{50.12537 MeV}		0+240Am
240Np
244Cm
Plutonium-240m240m94Pu146240.0538118(12) u
[240.0022523 u]
{50.12537 MeV}
Plutonium-24124194Pu147241.0568497(12) u
[241.0052902 u]
{52.95515 MeV}		5/2+241Np
245Cm
Plutonium-241m1241m194Pu147241.0568497(12) u
[241.0052902 u]
{52.95515 MeV}		1/2+
Plutonium-241m2241m294Pu147241.0568497(12) u
[241.0052902 u]
{52.95515 MeV}
Plutonium-24224294Pu148242.0587410(13) u
[242.0071815 u]
{54.71689 MeV}		0+242Am
242Np
246Cm
Plutonium-24324394Pu149243.0620021(27) u
[243.0104426 u]
{57.75458 MeV}		7/2+243Np
247Cm
Plutonium-243m243m94Pu149243.0620021(27) u
[243.0104426 u]
{57.75458 MeV}		(1/2+)
Plutonium-24424494Pu150244.0642044(25) u
[244.0126449 u]
{59.80601 MeV}		0+244Np
248Cm
Plutonium-244m244m94Pu150244.0642044(25) u
[244.0126449 u]
{59.80601 MeV}		8-
Plutonium-24524594Pu151245.067825(15) u
[245.0162655 u]
{63.17858 MeV}		(9/2-)
Plutonium-245m245m94Pu151245.067825(15) u
[245.0162655 u]
{63.17858 MeV}		(5/2+)
Plutonium-24624694Pu152246.070204(16) u
[246.0186445 u]
{65.3946 MeV}		0+
Plutonium-24724794Pu153247.07419(21) u
[247.0226305 u]
{69.10754 MeV}		(1/2+)

 

Radioactive Decay Properties

IsotopeRadioactive DecayExtern
Half-lifeDecay ModeProbabilityEnergy
789101112
Pu-2281.1(+20-5) sα → 224U100 %7.94(18) MeVAL
Pu-22990(+71-27) sα → 225U100 %7.598(60) MeVAL
Pu-230102(19) sα → 226U≤ 100 %7.181(7) MeVAL
Pu-2318.6(5) minα → 227U
EC/β+ → 231Np		10(4) %
90(4) %		6.839(20) MeV
2.68(6) MeV		AL
Pu-23233.8(7) minα → 228U
EC → 232Np		(10 %)
(90 %)		6.716(10) MeV
1.0(1) MeV		AL
Pu-23320.9(4) minα → 229U
EC/β+ → 233Np		0.12(5) %
99.88(5) %		6.416(54) MeV
2.103(74) MeV		AL
Pu-2348.8(1) hα → 230U
EC → 234Np		ca. 6 %
ca. 94 %		6.31(5) MeV
0.395(11) MeV		AL
Pu-23525.3(5) minα → 231U
EC/β+ → 235Np		0.0028(7) %
99.9972(7) %		5.951(20) MeV
1.139(21) MeV		AL
Pu-2362.858(8) aα → 232U
SF div		ca. 100 %
Spuren		5.86715(8) MeV
AL
Pu-23745.64(4) dα → 233U
EC → 237Np		0.0042(4) %
99.9958(4) %		5.7476(23) MeV
0.2201(20) MeV		AL
Pu-237m10.18(2) sIso → 237Pu100 %AL
Pu-237m21.1(1) μsSF div> 0 %AL
Pu-23887.7(1) aα → 234U
SF div		ca. 100 %
Spuren		5.59327(19) MeV
AL
Pu-23924110(30) aα → 235U
SF div		ca. 100 %
Spuren		5.24452(21) MeV
AL
Pu-239m1193(4) ns
Pu-239m27.5(10) μsSF div< 100 %
Pu-2406.561(7) aα → 236U
SF div		100 %
0.0000057 %		5.25582(14) MeV
AL
Pu-240m165(10) ns
Pu-24114.329(29) aα → 237U
SF div
β- → 241Am		Spuren
Spuren
99.998 %		5.1401(5) MeV

0.02078(17) MeV		AL
Pu-241m10.88(5) μs
Pu-241m220.5(22) μsSF div100 %
Pu-242375000 aα → 238U
SF div		ca. 100 %
Spuren		4.9842(10) MeV
AL
Pu-2434.956(3) hβ- → 243Am100 %0.5796(26) MeVAL
Pu-243m0.33(3) μsAL
Pu-2448.13(3) × 107 aα → 240U
SF div		99.877(6) %
0.123(6) %		4.6656(10) MeV
AL
Pu-244m1.75(12) s
Pu-24510.5(1) hβ- → 245Am100 %1.278(14) MeVAL
Pu-245m0.33(2) μs
Pu-24610.84(2) dβ- → 246Am100 %0.401(14) MeVAL
Pu-2472.27(23) dβ- → 247Am100 %1.95(22) MeVAL

 

Notes (related to the columns):

1 - name of the nuclide, isotope.
2 - E: isotope symbol with mass number (superscript; number of nucleons) and Atomic number (subscript; number of protons).
3 - N: number of neutrons.
4 - relative atomic mass of the Plutonium isotope (isotopic mass including electrons) and the mass of the atomic nucleus in square brackets (nuclear mass, nuclide mass without electrons), each related to 12C = 12.00000 [2]. In addition, the mass excess is given in MeV.
5 - nuclear spin I, unit: h/2π.
6 - source nuclides: Possible, assumed or actual source nuclides (mother nuclides, parent nuclides). If applicable, the corresponding decay modes can be found in the data for the respective starting nuclide.

7 - isotope notation in short form.
8 - decay: half-live of the Plutonium isotope (a = years; ; d = days; h = hours; min = minutes; s = seconds).
9 - decay mode: type of decay into the respective daughter nuclides with n = neutron emission; p = proton emission; α = alpha decay; β- = beta minus decay with electron emission; EC = electron capture; β+ = positron emission; ε = β+ and/or EC; Iso = isomeric transition; CD = cluster decay; SF = spontaneous decay.
10 - decay probability in percent (%).
11 - decay energy; Particle energy related to decay type.
12 - other information and notes: AL = Adopted Levels (link to external data [1]).

Miscellaneous:

()- Numbers in brackets: uncertainty to represent the spread of the reported value.
~ - Theoretical values or systematic trends.
  - unlisted-: Nuclides that have already been mentioned in the literature but for some reason can no longer be found in the current nuclide tables because their discovery e.g. has not confirmed.

 

NMR active Plutonium nuclides

Nuclide
quantity 1)
spin		Nuclear
magnetic
moment
μ/μN		Gyromagnetic ratio
{Quadrupole moment}		Resonant
frequency
v0 bei 1 T		Relative
sensitivity
H0 = const.
v0 = const. 3)
239Pu

1/2+		+ 0,203(4)0,972
{}		3,090,00038
0,0727

1) Quantity Percentage of natural occurrence.

2) Gyromagnetic ratio: 107 rad T-1 s-1
    Quadrupole moment: Q [barn] = [100 fm2]

3) Related to 1H = 1,000.

 

Radiation Protection

According to the Radiation Protection Ordinance (StrlSchV 2018, Germany), the following values (columns 1 to 7) apply to the handling of Plutonium radionuclides:

NuclideLimit ValueHASS limitSCDaughter NuclidesHalf-life
Pu-234107 Bq100 Bq/g10 Bq cm-28.8 h
Pu-235107 Bq100 Bq/g10 Bq cm-225.3 min
Pu-236104 Bq1 Bq/g0,1 TBq0,1 Bq cm-22.9 a
Pu-237107 Bq100 Bq/g2 TBq100 Bq cm-245.3 d
Pu-238104 Bq0,1 Bq/g0,06 TBq0,1 Bq cm-287.7 a
Pu-239+104 Bq0,1 Bq/g0,06 TBq0,1 Bq cm-224000 a
Pu-240103 Bq0,1 Bq/g0,06 TBq0,1 Bq cm-26600 a
Pu-241+105 Bq10 Bq/g3 TBq10 Bq cm-214.3 a
Pu-242104 Bq0,1 Bq/g0,07 TBq0,1 Bq cm-2370000 a
Pu-243107 Bq1000 Bq/g100 Bq cm-25.0 h
Pu-244+104 Bq0,1 Bq/g0,0003 TBq0,1 Bq cm-2U-240, Np-240m, Np-2408.0 × 107 a
Pu-245+106 Bq100 Bq/g10.5 h
Pu-246+106 Bq100 Bq/g10.9 d

(HASS = High-Activity Sealed Radioactive Sources; SC = surface contamination)

 

Literature Sources and References

Properties of the Plutonium nucleides

[1] - NuDat: National Nuclear Data Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, based on ENSDF and the Nuclear Wallet Cards.

[2] - G. Audi et. al.: The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties. Nuclear Physics, (2003), DOI 10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001.

[3] - Live Chart of Nuclides. Nuclear structure and decay data.

Plutonium: NMR properties - 239Pu-NMR

[4] - N. J. Stone: Table of nuclear magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moments. Atomic Data and Nuclear Data Tables, (2005), DOI 10.1016/j.adt.2005.04.001.

[5] - Pekka Pyykkö: Year-2008 nuclear quadrupole moments. Molecular Physics, (2008), DOI 10.1080/00268970802018367.

[6] - Pekka Pyykkö: Year-2017 nuclear quadrupole moments. Molecular Physics, (2018), DOI 10.1080/00268976.2018.1426131.

[7] - N. J. Stone: Table of recommended nuclear magnetic dipole moments. IAEA, (2019).

More sources:

[8] - Isotopic abundances, atomic weights and isotopic masses: see respective keyword.

[9] - D. F. Peppard et al.:
Isolation of Microgram Quantities of Naturally-occurring Plutonium and Examination of its Isotopic Composition.
In: Journal of the American Chemical Society, (1951), DOI 10.1021/ja01150a034.

[10] - D. C. Hoffman, F. O. Lawrence, J. L. Mewherter, F. M. Rourke:
Detection of Plutonium-244 in Nature.
In: Nature, (1971), DOI 10.1038/234132a0.

 

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