Element 50 — Tin (Sn) — Z = 50

Notation: mass number as a left superscript (e.g., ¹¹⁹Sn).
Columns: Isotope | Z | A | Stable? | Half‑life | Decay mode(s) | Daughter | Radiation | Origin | Uses | Notes.
Backbone: half‑lives/branches/daughters from the evaluated Isotopes of tin list; natural isotopic composition from CIAAW. Cornerstones: ¹⁰⁰Sn and ¹³²Sn are doubly magic benchmarks; ¹²⁶Sn is a long‑lived fission product; ¹¹³Sn → ¹¹³ᵐIn is a classic generator pair; ¹¹⁹ᵐSn underpins Mössbauer spectroscopy; ¹¹⁷ᵐSn is under active therapeutic development. (Wikipedia, CIAAW, CIAAW, Akademiai Kiado, ScienceDirect, Physical Review Links)

IsotopeZAStable?Half‑lifeDecay mode(s)DaughterRadiationOriginUsesNotes
⁹⁹Sn5099No24(4) msβ⁺ 95%; β⁺,p 5%⁹⁹In; ⁹⁸Cdβ⁺; delayed pSynthetic (p‑rich)Dripline mappingMass/branch trends near dripline. (Wikipedia)
¹⁰⁰Sn50100No1.18(8) sβ⁺ > 83%; β⁺,p < 17%¹⁰⁰In; ⁹⁹Cdβ⁺; delayed pProjectile fragmentationDoubly magic N=Z=50; precision β‑decay studies. (Wikipedia, Physical Review Links, Astrophysics Data System)
¹⁰¹Sn50101No2.22(5) sβ⁺; β⁺,p?¹⁰¹In; ¹⁰⁰Cdβ⁺; p?Synthetic— (Wikipedia)
¹⁰²Sn50102No3.8(2) sβ⁺¹⁰²Inβ⁺Synthetic— (Wikipedia)
¹⁰³Sn50103No7.0(2) sβ⁺ 98.8%; β⁺,p 1.2%¹⁰³In; ¹⁰²Cdβ⁺; delayed pSynthetic— (Wikipedia)
¹⁰⁴Sn50104No20.8(5) sβ⁺¹⁰⁴Inβ⁺Synthetic— (Wikipedia)
¹⁰⁵Sn50105No32.7(5) sβ⁺ (+ β⁺,p ≈ 1.1×10⁻⁴)¹⁰⁵In; ¹⁰⁴Cdβ⁺; delayed pSynthetic— (Wikipedia)
¹⁰⁶Sn50106No1.92(8) minβ⁺¹⁰⁶Inβ⁺Synthetic— (Wikipedia)
¹⁰⁷Sn50107No2.90(5) minβ⁺¹⁰⁷Inβ⁺Synthetic— (Wikipedia)
¹⁰⁸Sn50108No10.30(8) minβ⁺¹⁰⁸Inβ⁺Activation— (Wikipedia)
¹⁰⁹Sn50109No18.1(2) minβ⁺¹⁰⁹Inβ⁺Activation— (Wikipedia)
¹¹⁰Sn50110No4.154(4) hEC¹¹⁰InX‑rays/AugerActivationEC → In K‑lines. (Wikipedia)
¹¹¹Sn50111No35.3(6) minβ⁺¹¹¹Inβ⁺Activation— (Wikipedia)
¹¹²Sn50112Obs.-stableNatural (≈ 0.0097)StandardsNo decay observed; double‑EC energetically allowed. (Wikipedia)
¹¹³Sn50113No115.08(4) dEC → ¹¹³In¹¹³InX‑rays/γ (via daughter ¹¹³ᵐIn)Activation/cyclotronParent of ¹¹³ᵐIn generator¹¹³ᵐIn ≈ 99–104 min γ ~392 keV. (Wikipedia, ScienceDirect, Akademiai Kiado)
¹¹⁴Sn50114StableNatural (≈ 0.0066)Standards— (Wikipedia)
¹¹⁵Sn50115StableNatural (≈ 0.0034)Sn‑NMR nucleus (I = ½)With ¹¹⁷/¹¹⁹Sn gives narrow Sn‑NMR. (Hebrew University Chemistry)
¹¹⁶Sn50116StableNatural (≈ 0.1454)Standards— (Wikipedia)
¹¹⁷Sn50117StableNatural (≈ 0.0768)Sn‑NMR— (Hebrew University Chemistry)
¹¹⁷ᵐSn50117No (isomer)13.939(24) dIT → ¹¹⁷Sn (dominant)¹¹⁷Snγ; conv. e⁻ActivationBone‑seeking therapy (Sn‑117m‑DTPA/DOTMP)Therapeutic conversion‑electron emitter; human trials. (PMC, PubMed, ScienceDirect)
¹¹⁸Sn50118StableNatural (≈ 0.2422)Standards— (Wikipedia)
¹¹⁹Sn50119StableNatural (≈ 0.0859)Primary Sn‑NMR nucleus (I = ½)Widely used in organotin NMR. (Hebrew University Chemistry, IMERC)
¹¹⁹ᵐSn50119No (isomer)293.1(7) dIT → ¹¹⁹Sn¹¹⁹Snγ 23.875 keV (Mössbauer); X‑raysActivationMössbauer sources (CaSnO₃ matrix)Standard 23.8 keV line; source fabrication notes. (Wikipedia, RITVERC, MySite)
¹²⁰Sn50120StableNatural (≈ 0.3258)StandardsMost abundant Sn isotope. (Wikipedia)
¹²¹Sn50121No27.03(4) hβ⁻ → ¹²¹Sb¹²¹Sbβ⁻Activation/fission— (Wikipedia)
¹²¹ᵐSn50121No (isomer)43.9(5) yIT 77.6% → ¹²¹Sn; β⁻ 22.4% → ¹²¹Sb¹²¹Sn/Sbγ; β⁻Fission (minor yield)Long‑term tracer; waste forensicsLow thermal‑fission yield; not dominant in waste. (Wikipedia)
¹²²Sn50122Obs.-stableNatural (≈ 0.0463)Standards2β⁻ to ¹²²Te energetically allowed (not observed). (Wikipedia)
¹²³Sn50123No129.2(4) dβ⁻ → ¹²³Sb¹²³Sbβ⁻Activation/fissionTracer; activation monitor— (Wikipedia)
¹²⁴Sn50124Obs.-stableNatural (≈ 0.0579)StandardsDouble‑β to ¹²⁴Te allowed; no firm observation. (Wikipedia)
¹²⁵Sn50125No9.634(15) dβ⁻ → ¹²⁵Sb¹²⁵Sbβ⁻Activation/fissionRadiotracer— (Wikipedia)
¹²⁶Sn50126No2.30(14)×10⁵ yβ⁻ → ¹²⁶Sb¹²⁶Sbβ⁻Fission product (LLFP)Waste inventories; transmutation R&DClassic long‑lived fission product. (Wikipedia, NRC Web, Inspire)
¹²⁷Sn50127No2.10(4) hβ⁻ → ¹²⁷Sb¹²⁷Sbβ⁻Fission— (Wikipedia)
¹²⁸Sn50128No59.07(14) minβ⁻ → ¹²⁸Sb¹²⁸Sbβ⁻Fission— (Wikipedia)
¹²⁹Sn50129No2.23(4) minβ⁻ → ¹²⁹Sb¹²⁹Sbβ⁻Fission— (Wikipedia)
¹³⁰Sn50130No3.72(7) minβ⁻ → ¹³⁰Sb¹³⁰Sbβ⁻Fissionr‑process chain studies— (Wikipedia)
¹³¹Sn50131No56.0(5) sβ⁻ → ¹³¹Sb¹³¹Sbβ⁻In‑flight fissionShell‑closure systematics— (Wikipedia)
¹³²Sn50132No39.7(8) sβ⁻ → ¹³²Sb¹³²Sbβ⁻In‑flight fissionDoubly magic (N=82); structure benchmarkPrecision spectroscopy around N=82. (Wikipedia, Physical Review Links, periodictable.com)
¹³³Sn50133No1.37(7) sβ⁻ 99.97%; β⁻,n 0.029%¹³³/¹³²Sbβ⁻; delayed nIn‑flight fission— (Wikipedia)
¹³⁴Sn50134No0.93(8) sβ⁻ 83%; β⁻,n 17%¹³⁴/¹³³Sbβ⁻; delayed nIn‑flight fission— (Wikipedia)
¹³⁵Sn50135No515(5) msβ⁻ 79%; β⁻,n 21%¹³⁵/¹³⁴Sbβ⁻; delayed nIn‑flight fissionTrend “#” values near frontier. (Wikipedia)
¹³⁶Sn50136No355(18) msβ⁻ 72%; β⁻,n 28%¹³⁶/¹³⁵Sbβ⁻; delayed nIn‑flight fission“#” mass/branch flags. (Wikipedia)
¹³⁷Sn50137No249(15) msβ⁻ 52%; β⁻,n 48%¹³⁷/¹³⁶Sbβ⁻; delayed nIn‑flight fissionFrontier values. (Wikipedia)
¹³⁸Sn50138No148(9) msβ⁻ 64%; β⁻,n 36%¹³⁸/¹³⁷Sbβ⁻; delayed nIn‑flight fission— (Wikipedia)
¹³⁹Sn50139No120(38) msβ⁻; β⁻,n?¹³⁹/¹³⁸Sbβ⁻; delayed n?In‑flight fission“#” trend region. (Wikipedia)
¹⁴⁰Sn50140No≈ 50 ms (#; > 550 ns)β⁻?; β⁻,n?¹⁴⁰/¹³⁹Sbβ⁻; delayed n?In‑flight fissionVery neutron‑rich limit; trend‑based. (Wikipedia)

Radiation key: **β⁺/**EC → positrons and/or characteristic X‑rays/Auger (EC); β⁻ (electron); p = (β⁺‑delayed) proton; β⁻, n = β‑decay with delayed neutron(s); IT = isomeric transition γ.
Natural Sn isotopes & amount fractions (CIAAW): ¹¹² 0.0097, ¹¹⁴ 0.0066, ¹¹⁵ 0.0034, ¹¹⁶ 0.1454, ¹¹⁷ 0.0768, ¹¹⁸ 0.2422, ¹¹⁹ 0.0859, ¹²⁰ 0.3258, ¹²² 0.0463, ¹²⁴ 0.0579. (CIAAW, CIAAW)


Applied & research highlights (Tin)

  • ¹¹³Sn → ¹¹³ᵐIn (generator): ¹¹³Sn t½ ≈ 115.1 d decays by EC to ¹¹³ᵐIn (t½ ~ 99–104 min, ~392 keV γ) — a classic portable γ source for labs/industry. (ScienceDirect, Akademiai Kiado)
  • ¹¹⁹ᵐSn (t½ ≈ 293 d): the 23.875 keV Mössbauer γ standard; routine commercial sources embed ¹¹⁹ᵐSn in CaSnO₃. (RITVERC, MySite)
  • ¹¹⁷ᵐSn (t½ ≈ 13.94 d): conversion‑electron emitter under clinical study for bone pain palliation; strong bone uptake with chelates (DTPA/DOTMP). (PMC, PubMed)
  • ¹²⁶Sn (t½ ≈ 2.3×10⁵ y): long‑lived fission product relevant to waste management and transmutation research. (Wikipedia, NRC Web, Inspire)
  • Shell closures: ¹⁰⁰Sn (Z=N=50) and ¹³²Sn (Z=50, N=82) serve as structure anchors; high‑precision β‑decay and γ‑spectroscopy campaigns continue. (Physical Review Links)
  • NMR: ¹¹⁹Sn (preferred) and ¹¹⁷Sn (both I = ½) are the workhorse NMR nuclei for organotin/inorganic tin chemistry; ¹¹⁵Sn is much less sensitive. (Hebrew University Chemistry, IMERC)

Totals — Tin (Z = 50)

  • Stable: 10  (¹¹², ¹¹⁴, ¹¹⁵, ¹¹⁶, ¹¹⁷, ¹¹⁸, ¹¹⁹, ¹²⁰, ¹²², ¹²⁴Sn; several observationally stable).
  • Unstable (radioisotopes, ground states): 32  (⁹⁹–¹¹³Sn [excl. stables], ¹²¹, ¹²³, ¹²⁵–¹⁴⁰Sn).
  • Total isotopes (ground states): 42. (Wikipedia)

Running cumulative totals (H → Sn, Z = 1…50)

From the previous step (through In, Z = 49) we had ≥ 1350 total (135 stable, ≥ 1215 unstable). Adding tin (42 total; 10 stable; 32 unstable) gives:

  • Cumulative total: ≥ 1392
  • Cumulative stable: 145
  • Cumulative unstable: ≥ 1247

Sources & cross‑checks

  • Isotopes of tin — per‑nuclide half‑lives, branches, daughters; notable ¹⁰⁰Sn/¹³²Sn properties; ¹²⁶Sn half‑life. (Wikipedia)
  • CIAAWstandard atomic weight and natural isotopic composition for Sn. (CIAAW, CIAAW)
  • Doubly magic spectroscopy: precision work around ¹³²Sn (half‑life 39.7(8) s). (Physical Review Links, periodictable.com)
  • Generator: ¹¹³Sn parent and ¹¹³ᵐIn daughter (half‑lives and γ). (ScienceDirect, Akademiai Kiado)
  • Mössbauer: ¹¹⁹ᵐSn energies/half‑life and source implementations. (RITVERC, MySite)
  • Therapy: Sn‑117m bone‑targeting trials and biodistribution. (PMC, PubMed)
  • Waste: ¹²⁶Sn identified as LLFP and a target for transmutation studies. (Wikipedia, NRC Web, Inspire)

Next: Antimony — Sb (Z = 51).