Notation: mass number as a left superscript (e.g., ³⁵S).
Columns: Isotope | Z | A | Stable? | Half‑life | Decay mode(s) | Daughter | Radiation | Origin | Uses | Notes.
Scope: Sulfur has 23 known isotopes with A = 27–49; four are stable (³²S, ³³S, ³⁴S, ³⁶S). Numeric half‑lives/branches below follow the NUBASE/AME‑backed evaluated table; LiveChart/NuDat are the primary authorities. (Wikipedia, www-nds.iaea.org, nndc.bnl.gov)
| Isotope | Z | A | Stable? | Half‑life | Decay mode(s) | Daughter | Radiation | Origin | Uses | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ²⁷S | 16 | 27 | Unstable | 16.3 ms | β⁺p 61%; β⁺ 36%; β⁺2p 3% | ²⁶Si; ²⁷P; ²⁵Al | β⁺; p | Synthetic | Research (dripline) | Trend/data‑evaluated branches. (Wikipedia) |
| ²⁸S | 16 | 28 | Unstable | 125 ms | β⁺ 79.3%; β⁺p 20.7% | ²⁸P; ²⁷Si | β⁺; p | Synthetic | Research | — (Wikipedia) |
| ²⁹S | 16 | 29 | Unstable | 188 ms | β⁺ 53.6%; β⁺p 46.4% | ²⁹P; ²⁸Si | β⁺; p | Synthetic | Research | — (Wikipedia) |
| ³⁰S | 16 | 30 | Unstable | 1.1798 s | β⁺ | ³⁰P | β⁺ | Synthetic | β⁺ standards; reaction tests | — (Wikipedia) |
| ³¹S | 16 | 31 | Unstable | 2.553 s | β⁺ | ³¹P | β⁺ | Synthetic (activation/accelerators) | β⁺ spectroscopy | — (Wikipedia) |
| ³²S | 16 | 32 | Stable | — | — | — | — | Natural (major) | Stable‑isotope geochemistry (δ³⁴S); IRMS | Dominant natural isotope. (Wikipedia, ACS Publications) |
| ³³S | 16 | 33 | Stable | — | — | — | — | Natural (trace) | Mass‑independent fractionation studies (Δ³³S); niche NMR | Spin 3/2; rare. (Wikipedia) |
| ³⁴S | 16 | 34 | Stable | — | — | — | — | Natural (minor) | δ³⁴S reference ratio in IRMS | Abundance varies by environment. (Wikipedia) |
| ³⁵S | 16 | 35 | Unstable | 87.37 d | β⁻ → ³⁵Cl (100%) | ³⁵Cl | β⁻ (no γ) | Natural trace (cosmogenic from ⁴⁰Ar) & Synthetic | Tracer: hydrology (rain/groundwater), soil–plant studies; biochemistry (radiolabel S‑amino acids) | Widely used low‑energy β‑emitter. (Wikipedia, USC Environmental Health & Safety, IAEA Publications, ResearchGate) |
| ³⁶S | 16 | 36 | Stable | — | — | — | — | Natural (ultra‑trace) | Baseline in δ³⁶S studies | Very low natural abundance. (Wikipedia) |
| ³⁷S | 16 | 37 | Unstable | 5.05 min | β⁻ → ³⁷Cl (100%) | ³⁷Cl | β⁻ | Synthetic | Activation & β‑decay benchmarks | Often produced via Cl reactions. (Wikipedia, periodictable.com) |
| ³⁸S | 16 | 38 | Unstable | 170.3 min | β⁻ → ³⁸Cl (100%) | ³⁸Cl | β⁻ | Synthetic | Tracer/decay studies | Second‑longest‑lived S radioisotope. (Wikipedia) |
| ³⁹S | 16 | 39 | Unstable | 11.5 s | β⁻ → ³⁹Cl | ³⁹Cl | β⁻ | Synthetic | Research | — (Wikipedia) |
| ⁴⁰S | 16 | 40 | Unstable | 8.8 s | β⁻ → ⁴⁰Cl | ⁴⁰Cl | β⁻ | Synthetic | Research | — (Wikipedia) |
| ⁴¹S | 16 | 41 | Unstable | 1.99 s | β⁻ → ⁴¹Cl | ⁴¹Cl | β⁻ | Synthetic | Research | — (Wikipedia) |
| ⁴²S | 16 | 42 | Unstable | 1.016 s | β⁻ (> 96%); β⁻,n (< 1%) | ⁴²Cl; ⁴¹Cl | β⁻; delayed n | Synthetic | β‑delayed‑n studies | — (Wikipedia) |
| ⁴³S | 16 | 43 | Unstable | 265 ms | β⁻ 60%; β⁻,n 40% | ⁴³Cl; ⁴²Cl | β⁻; delayed n | Synthetic | β‑delayed‑n benchmarks | ⁴³ᵐS: 415 ns IT isomer. (Wikipedia) |
| ⁴⁴S | 16 | 44 | Unstable | 100 ms | β⁻ 82%; β⁻,n 18% | ⁴⁴Cl; ⁴³Cl | β⁻; delayed n | Synthetic | N=28 structure; shape‑coexistence case | ⁴⁴ᵐS: 2.62 µs IT; deformed/prolate–spherical coexistence at N=28. (Wikipedia, Physical Review Link Manager, arXiv) |
| ⁴⁵S | 16 | 45 | Unstable | 68 ms | β⁻,n 54%; β⁻ 46% | ⁴⁴Cl; ⁴⁵Cl | β⁻; delayed n | Synthetic | Neutron‑rich decay | — (Wikipedia) |
| ⁴⁶S | 16 | 46 | Unstable | 50 ms | β⁻ → ⁴⁶Cl | ⁴⁶Cl | β⁻ | Synthetic | Structure (N>28) | — (Wikipedia) |
| ⁴⁷S | 16 | 47 | Unstable | 24 ms (#; > 200 ns) | β⁻? (trend) | ⁴⁷Cl (expected) | β⁻ (expected) | Synthetic | Edge‑of‑stability tests | Evaluated from neighboring systematics (#). (Wikipedia) |
| ⁴⁸S | 16 | 48 | Unstable | 10 ms (#; > 200 ns) | β⁻? (trend) | ⁴⁸Cl (expected) | β⁻ (expected) | Synthetic | Edge‑of‑stability tests | Trend‑estimated (#). (Wikipedia) |
| ⁴⁹S | 16 | 49 | Unstable | 4 ms (#; > 400 ns) | β⁻? (trend) | ⁴⁹Cl (expected) | β⁻ (expected) | Synthetic | Heaviest observed S | Trend‑estimated (#). (Wikipedia) |
Radiation key: β⁺/EC → annihilation γ (511 keV); β⁻ (electron); β⁻,n = β decay with delayed neutron; p/2p = prompt proton(s) from proton‑unbound branches; IT = isomeric transition γ.
Applied highlights: ³⁵S (87.37 d) is the workhorse sulfur radioisotope for hydrology, soil–plant studies, and biochemical radiolabeling; its low‑energy β makes handling practical under standard lab controls. Stable‑isotope work relies on δ³⁴S (and Δ³³S) by IRMS. (IAEA Publications, USC Environmental Health & Safety, ResearchGate, ACS Publications)
Totals — Sulfur (Z = 16)
- Stable4 (³²S, ³³S, ³⁴S, ³⁶S)
- Unstable19 (²⁷–³¹S, ³⁵S, ³⁷–⁴⁹S)
- Total isotopes23. (Wikipedia)
Running cumulative totals (H → S, Z = 1…16)
- Cumulative total isotopes274 (H: 7 • He: 8 • Li: 10 • Be: 11 • B: 15 • C: 14 • N: 15 • O: 18 • F: 19 • Ne: 20 • Na: 21 • Mg: 22 • Al: 24 • Si: 25 • P: 22 • S: 23)
- Cumulative stable33 (H: 2 • He: 2 • Li: 2 • Be: 1 • B: 2 • C: 2 • N: 2 • O: 3 • F: 1 • Ne: 3 • Na: 1 • Mg: 3 • Al: 1 • Si: 3 • P: 1 • S: 4)
- Cumulative unstable241
Sources & cross‑checks
- Isotopes of sulfur — complete per‑nuclide list (A = 27–49) with half‑lives and branches; cites NUBASE2020/AME2020. (Wikipedia)
- IAEA LiveChart of Nuclides (ENSDF backbone) and NNDC NuDat 3 — authoritative decay‑mode/half‑life look‑ups used for verification. (www-nds.iaea.org, nndc.bnl.gov)
- S‑35 properties & lab use (β energy, handling): USC EHS; soil–plant tracer guidance (IAEA TCS‑20); hydrology applications (recent methods). (USC Environmental Health & Safety, IAEA Publications, ResearchGate)
- Stable‑isotope analysis (δ³⁴S, Δ³³S) — IRMS methods & sulfur isotope biogeochemistry overview. (ACS Publications, Wikipedia)
- Structure note (⁴⁴S) — prolate–spherical shape coexistence at N = 28 (PRL 2010; classic & modern reviews). (Physical Review Link Manager, arXiv)
Next: Chlorine — Cl (Z = 17).
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