Preparative supercritical deuterium exchange in arenes and heteroarenes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0040-4039(96)00615-6

Deuterated homo- and heterocyclic aromatic substrates bearing various functionalities were prepared by isotope exchange in supercritical deuterium oxide, with little or no formation of byproducts. Equilibration was attained rapidly (1-24 hrs), and deuterium exchange extended to alpha positions of alkyl homologs. Nitro- and haloarenes, thioethers, telluroethers, and some heterocyclic substrates were unstable.