Oxygen is a vital element, and it is also the most abundant element in the earth's crust. Furthermore, oxygen is an essential component of various biological cells and is used as a standard for measuring the atomic weight of other elements. The oxygen element in nature exists in the three stable isotopes form, including oxygen-16 (16O), oxygen-17 (17O), and oxygen-18 (18O). Oxygen-16 is the most common form of oxygen isotope, with a natural abundance of more than 99%, while Oxygen-17 can be used as an ion to bombard the target material. Oxygen-18 is used as a tracer atom and extensively used in modern high-tech fields (life science, medicine, pharmacy, environmental science, geology, etc.).
Oxygen-18 labeled compounds
Oxygen-18 labeled compound refers to a non-radioactive labeled compound in which the stable isotope oxygen-18 replaces the original oxygen in the compound as a label. Various compounds containing the oxygen-18 label are widely used in chemistry, biology, medicine, environmental science, geology and other fields.
- Chemistry: Oxygen-18 labeled compounds could be used in the chemical reaction process, chemical reaction mechanism, chemical reaction kinetics, compound structure, and organic matter analysis.
- Biology: Oxygen-18 labeled compounds could be used in photosynthesis and biological metabolism research.
- Medicine: In drug research, oxygen-18 labeled compounds can quickly clarify the law of drug activity and metabolic pathways in the body, which is a powerful tool to promote the development of new drugs. Oxygen-18 labeled compounds are also conducive to developing new positron-emitting drugs.
- Environmental science: Heavy oxygen water can be used as a tracer of the natural environment on the surface and groundwater discover the source of pollution.
- Geology: Oxygen-18 labeled compounds can be used to explore the process and causes of geological formation.
