Electrochemical C-H deuteration of pyridine derivatives with D<sub>2</sub>O.

Zhao, Zhiwei; Zhang, Ranran; Liu, Yaowen; Zhu, Zile; Wang, Qiuyan; Qiu, Youai · Nat Commun · 2024

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

Herein, we develop a straightforward, metal-free, and acid-/base-free electrochemical C4-selective C - H deuteration of pyridine derivatives with economic and convenient D<sub>2</sub>O at room temperature. This strategy features an efficient and environmentally friendly approach with high chemo- and regioselectivity, affording a wide range of D-compounds, such as pyridines, quinolones, N-ligands and biorelevant compounds. Notably, the mechanistic experiments and cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies demonstrate that N-butyl-2-phenylpyridinium iodide is a crucial intermediate during the electrochemical transformation, which provides a general and efficient way for deuteration of pyridine derivatives.