Routes to regioselective deuteriation of heteroaromatic compounds

A systematic approach to the deuteriation of polypyridyl type ligands is reported. A range of isotopologues of heteroaromatic compounds containing pyrazyl, pyridyl, 1,2,4-triazole, thienyl, methyl, and phenyl moieties, have been prepared in a cost-effective manner, using a range of methods based on subcritical aqueous media. Selectively and fully deuteriated ligands are characterized by mass spectrometry and(1)H, (2)D, and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. The application of deuteriation to supramolecular chemistry is discussed.