17O

17O is a stable isotope of oxygen with mass number 17, comprising 8 protons and 9 neutrons. It is one of the three naturally occurring, non-radioactive oxygen isotopes, alongside 16O and 18O. In nature, 17O is relatively rare, making up about 0.037% of atmospheric and oceanic oxygen, with 16O dominating.

Nuclear properties of 17O include a nonzero nuclear spin (I = 5/2) and a finite electric quadrupole moment. These characteristics render 17O NMR active and subject to quadrupolar interactions in both solid and liquid environments. Because of its low natural abundance, experiments often require isotopic enrichment to achieve detectable signals in spectroscopy or imaging.

Occurrence and applications of 17O span several fields. In geochemistry and hydrology, 17O is used alongside 16O and 18O in isotope ratio analyses to investigate fractionation processes and climate-related phenomena. The so-called triple oxygen isotope framework (involving 17O and 18O) provides insights into mass-independent fractionation in meteoritic and atmospheric samples. In chemistry and biochemistry, 17O-enriched compounds are employed in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies to probe the structure and dynamics of oxygen-containing molecules. 17O NMR is inherently less sensitive due to low natural abundance, but enrichment enables detailed characterization of molecular environments.

Production and enrichment of 17O are achieved through isotope separation techniques. Enriched 17O compounds are manufactured for research in spectroscopy, environmental science, and related disciplines, where precise oxygen isotope measurements offer valuable constraints on processes from atmospheric chemistry to paleoclimate reconstruction.