Le Zhang, Xu Wang, Liping Zhao, Fangdong Hu, Ying Xia
Deuterated compounds are significantly important in multiple domains. Herein, we report a mild and efficient method to synthesize deuterated gem -difluorinated cyclopropanes via base-catalyzed H/D exchange with an excellent level of deuterium incorporation. This approach was mediated by a catalytic amount of sodium tert -butoxide or potassium tert -butoxide with DMSO- d 6 as the deuterium source. Mechanistic studies indicate that this reaction proceeds via an anionic pathway. The scale-up synthesis and the preserved deuterium incorporation in downstream transformations demonstrate the practical applicability of this method.