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Nickel-63 is a radioisotope of the chemical element Nickel, which, in addition to the element-specific 28 protons, has 35 neutrons in the atomic nucleus, resulting in the mass number 63. The atomic nucleus decays to the stable isotope copper-63 with a half-life of 101.2 years.
Nickel-63 is a radioactive isotope that can only be accessed artificially and does not occur in nature. 63Ni is produced synthetically by neutron irradiation of the stable isotope Nickel-62 in a nuclear reactor (62Ni(n, γ)63Ni).
See also: list of Nickel isotopes.
Nickel-63 is a soft, pure beta emitter with an average energy of 17.425(6) keV and a maximum energy of 66.977(15) keV.
Half-life T½ = 101.2(15) a respectively 3.19144 × 109 seconds s.
| Decay mode | Daughter | Probability | Decay energy | γ energy (intensity) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| β- | 63Cu | 100 % | 0.066977(15) MeV |
Direct parent isotope is: 63Co.
As a β---emitter (beta-emitter), nickel-63 emits electrons during radioactive decay. The isotope is therefore used as an electron source, for example in electron capture detectors or in ion generators in ion mobility spectrometry.
More recently there have been media reports about the use of Ni-63 in so-called beta-voltaic power sources ; These convert the radioactive radiation into electrical current and, due to their small size, can probably also be used in portable devices as a battery replacement. However, the research and technical implementation of this has not yet been completed.
The betavoltaic effect, analogous to photovoltaics, causes the formation of electron-hole pairs in semiconductors with a p-n junction, which results in a current flow - here, however, under the influence of β-particles and not through the influence of light.
Nuclear isomers or excited states with the activation energy in keV related to the ground state.
| Nuclear Isomer | Excitation Energy | Half-life | Spin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63mNi | 87.15(11) keV | 1.67(3) μs | 5/2- |
| OZ | Isotone N = 35 | Isobar A = 63 |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 53Ar | |
| 19 | 54K | |
| 20 | 55Ca | |
| 21 | 56Sc | |
| 22 | 57Ti | 63Ti |
| 23 | 58V | 63V |
| 24 | 59Cr | 63Cr |
| 25 | 60Mn | 63Mn |
| 26 | 61Fe | 63Fe |
| 27 | 62Co | 63Co |
| 28 | 63Ni | 63Ni |
| 29 | 64Cu | 63Cu |
| 30 | 65Zn | 63Zn |
| 31 | 66Ga | 63Ga |
| 32 | 67Ge | 63Ge |
| 33 | 68As | 63As |
| 34 | 69Se | 63Se |
| 35 | 70Br | |
| 36 | 71Kr | |
| 37 | 72Rb | |
| 38 | 73Sr |
[1] - Andrey Krasnov et al.:
A nuclear battery based on silicon p-i-n structures with electroplating 63Ni layer.
In: Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 51, 8, 1978-1982, (2019), DOI 10.1016/j.net.2019.06.003.
[2] - Sergey I. Maximenko:
The perspectives of diamond for 3H and 63Ni betavoltaic power sources, comparison with 4H–SiC.
In: AIP Advances 13, 105021, (2023), DOI 10.1063/5.0162635.
Last update: 2024-01-13
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