Electricity-driven site-selective deuteration of pharmaceuticals.

ABSTRACT: Precision deuteration at metabolically vulnerable sites of pharmaceuticals can enhance drug stability and therapeutic efficacy, yet existing methods often suffer from poor selectivity and inefficiency. Here, we report an electricity-driven bromine-mediated deuteration strategy that enables late-stage site-selective deuteration of pharmaceuticals using D₂O as the deuterium source. This approach involves a two-step process: (i) bromination of labile C-H bonds using Br₂, followed by (ii) electricity-driven deuterodebromination using a palladium membrane reactor. This design leverages in situ Br₂ generation at the anode and selective deuterium permeation through the palladium membrane cathode, thereby significantly improving atom economy and energy effic

SUBMITTER: Zhong M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12626438 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature