What are the stable isotopes of boron?

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In nature, boron consists of a mixture of two stable isotopes:

  • Boron-10: Comprises approximately 19.9 percent of naturally occurring boron.12
  • Boron-11: Comprises approximately 80.1 percent of naturally occurring boron.12

These stable isotopes are utilized in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the boron-10 isotope is particularly notable for its high capacity to capture thermal neutrons, a property leveraged in applications such as neutron shielding and boron neutron capture therapy for treating certain tumors.1