Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Deuterium‐Labeled Compounds

Deuterium‐labeled compounds are of importance in chemical, environmental, and biological fields. Preparation methods for deuterium‐labeled compounds have been studied extensively in response to increasing demand for these chemicals. In this review, we summarize recent advances in synthetic methods and present a comprehensive overview of diverse routes, including conventional deuteration and hydrogen‐deuterium exchange. Deuteration by the classical process, which starts from appropriate available labeled precursors, is introduced for different reaction types. Key features of hydrogen‐deuterium exchange are elaborated in detail from the perspective of the catalyst and the chemical structure of the substrate. Regioselective deuteration at the target position is discussed because of the role of stereospecific deuterium labeling in medicine. Finally, challenges and future prospects of these processes are discussed to provide a general guideline for the synthesis of deuterium‐labeled compounds. Deuterium‐labeled compounds occupy an irreplaceable position in the development of life sciences, spectroscopic study, and reaction mechanism research. Based on the conventional reactions, fully deuterated compounds could be prepared from appropriate available labelled precursors. On the other hand, by employing the hydrogen‐deuterium exchange, the regioselective deuterium‐labeled compounds with designed deuteration position could be obtained.