Organocatalyzed α‐Deuteration of Ketones and Bioactive Carbonyl Compounds Using D ₂ O as Deuterium Source

Abstract In this report, we disclose an organocatalyzed deuteration process of α‐C‐H bonds in ketones using D 2 O as economical deuterium source under mild reaction conditions. This protocol enables good to excellent deuterium incorporation (90%–97%) in diverse ketones in a single run. The value of this methodology is further demonstrated by deuteration of commercially available bioactive ketones such as 2‐acetylphenothiazine, nabumetone, pentoxifylline, and estrone‐3‐methyl ether. Furthermore, the practicality of the developed protocol is justified by scale‐up studies.