Deuterium is a stable isotope of hydrogen, represented by the symbol \( \text{D} \) or \( ^2\text{H} \). It contains one proton and one neutron in its nucleus, giving it a mass number of 2, compared to the more common hydrogen isotope, protium, which has no neutrons. Deuterium occurs naturally in small amounts in water, comprising about 0.0156% of all hydrogen in the ocean.
Applications:
- because it has an even number of nucleons it is transparent to NMR, and therefore is useful in solvents for NMR spectroscopy
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