Isotooppiyhdisteellä

Isotooppiyhdisteellä, known in English as an isotopically substituted compound, is a chemical compound in which one or more atoms of a specific element have been replaced by atoms of the same element but with a different number of neutrons. These atoms with different numbers of neutrons are called isotopes. For example, water (H2O) can be an isotopically substituted compound if one or more of its hydrogen atoms are replaced by deuterium (2H), an isotope of hydrogen with one proton and one neutron, instead of the usual one proton and zero neutrons. Similarly, carbon-14 (14C) can replace carbon-12 (12C) in organic molecules.

The chemical properties of an isotopically substituted compound are generally very similar to its non-substituted counterpart because the number of electrons and protons, which determine chemical behavior, remain the same. However, the difference in mass due to the varying number of neutrons can lead to subtle but measurable differences in physical properties, such as vibrational frequencies, reaction rates (kinetic isotope effect), and diffusion rates.

Isotopically substituted compounds are valuable tools in scientific research. They are widely used as tracers in chemical and biological studies to follow the pathways of specific atoms or molecules. For instance, in medical imaging, radioactive isotopes incorporated into specific compounds can be used to diagnose diseases. In analytical chemistry, they serve as internal standards for mass spectrometry, allowing for precise quantification of substances. The synthesis of isotopically substituted compounds requires specialized techniques to ensure the desired isotopes are incorporated accurately.