Catalytic
methods for the direct introduction of hydrogen isotopes
into organic molecules are essential to the development of improved
pharmaceuticals and to the alteration of their absorption, distribution,
metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties. However, the development
of homogeneous catalysts for selective incorporation of isotopes in
the absence of directing groups under practical conditions remains
a long-standing challenge. Here, we show that a phosphine-ligated,
silver-carbonate complex catalyzes the site-selective deuteration
of C–H bonds in five-membered aromatic heterocycles and active
pharmaceutical ingredients that have been resistant to catalytic H/D
exchange. The reactions occur with CH3OD as a low-cost
source of the isotope. The silver catalysts react with five-membered
heteroarenes lacking directing groups, tolerate a wide range of functional
groups, and react in both polar and nonpolar solvents. Mechanistic
experiments, including deuterium kinetic isotope effects, determination
of kinetic orders, and identification of the catalyst resting state,
support C–H bond cleavage from a phosphine-ligated, silver-carbonate
intermediate as the rate-determining step of the catalytic cycle.