Heavy hydrogen as an indicator of the course of chemical reactions

Abstract

hydrogen, or deuterium as it is frequently called, is by now too well known to require an elaborate introduction. Excellent general reviews of the history and properties of this remarkable isotope have already appeared (2). The ground need not be covered again. In this paper we shall treat, in somewhat greater detail than has been done heretofore, one special phase of the recent work on heavy hydrogen-a phase of particular interest to chemiststhe use of deuterium as an indicator of the course of chemical reactions. It is not our purpose to treat the subject exhaustively, but rather to discuss in detail several important examples which illustrate different methods of attack. A few remarks on the general chemistry of deuterium will serve by way of introduction.Isotopic atoms have been specified by some writers as atoms which possess different masses but identical chemical properties. This definition is somewhat unfortunate. When the isotopes of a relatively heavy element are concerned, we cannot, it is true, separate them by chemical means, but this fact does not justify a supposition that they are absolutely identical in their chemical properties. Real differences are there, but they are sufficiently minute to escape detection.