What is the Difference Between Deuterium and Hydrogen?

Deuterium and hydrogen are both isotopes of hydrogen, but they differ in the number of neutrons in their atomic nuclei. The main differences between deuterium and hydrogen are:

1. Number of Neutrons: Hydrogen (protium) has no neutrons in its atomic nucleus, while deuterium has one neutron.
2. Mass: Due to the presence of an additional neutron in deuterium, its mass number is 2, compared to hydrogen's mass number of 1.
3. NMR Frequency: Deuterium's NMR frequency is significantly different from that of common light hydrogen, which allows for easy differentiation between the two using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
4. Infrared Spectroscopy: Infrared spectroscopy can also differentiate many deuterated compounds due to the large difference in IR absorption frequency seen in the vibration of a chemical bond versus light hydrogen.
5. Physical Properties: Deuterium compounds can exhibit significant kinetic isotope effects. For example, D2O (heavy water) is more viscous than H2O (water).
6. Chemical Properties: Bonds involving deuterium and tritium are somewhat stronger than the corresponding bonds in protium (common hydrogen). These differences are large enough to cause significant changes in biological reactions.

Comparative Table: Deuterium vs Hydrogen

Here is a table comparing the differences between deuterium and hydrogen:

Hydrogen and deuterium are both isotopes of hydrogen, which is the first and smallest element in the periodic table. They have similar chemical properties, but deuterium exhibits a kinetic isotope effect and has different bond energy and bond length. Deuterium can be identified and distinguished from hydrogen using NMR, IR, and mass spectroscopy.