To reveal factors affecting the tritium labeling by isotope exchange with tritium water and to elucidate the reaction mechanism, the concepts of processes involved in heterogeneous catalysis were considered. Conditions were optimized for tritium labeling of deltamethrin, pargiline, trichostatin, ciprofloxacin, and 1,3-O-dibenzylglycerol. Samples with the molar radioactivity of 9.3, 0.5, 1.8, 35.1, and 57.3 Ci mmol !1 , respectively, were prepared.The recently suggested new concept of solid-phase reactions, [capacitor] model [1], allows explanation of the features of tritium labeling of organic compounds. This concept can be briefly presented as follows. The interaction of molecular tritium with a catalyst metal yields activated tritium species ( 3 H*, 3 H + ), and the tritium s electrons are partially donated to the metal conductance band. Atomic tritium recombines to form molecular tritium, and tritium cations and electrons spill over the support (carbon, alumina, silica gel, calcium carbonate, barium sulfate, etc.). In the process, the support surface acquires the properties of a multilayer capacitor. Depending on the experimental conditions, the tritium cations interact with electrons with a certain probability (discharge of adjacent oppositely charged areas) to give atomic tritium, which rapidly recombines and passes into the gas phase; therefore, it does not noticeably react with the organic substrate applied onto the support. When the flow of 3 H + and electrons reaches the substrate, the isotope exchange (by the electrophilic substitution mechanism), hydrogenation, dehalogenation, etc., occur efficiently [2].If the substrate contains groups that can be readily deprotonated, it acquires the positive charge, which impedes its reaction with tritium cations and hence appreciably decreases the degree of labeling, especially in the molecular fragments in the vicinity of the charged fragment [2]. Specifically this factor is responsible for the high stability of the N3CHR3C 6 H 5 , O3CHR3C 6 H 5 bonds, 3NO 2 , =N3OR groups, etc., under the conditions of solid-phase reactions [3].Only at elevated temperatures the contribution of atomic tritium to the formation of the labeled product will become significant. An example of labeling a substrate with atomic tritium as active species is the preparation of labeled sulfobromophthalein at temperatures above 285oC [4].In preparation of labeled compounds in solution, the tritium labeling occurs on active centers of the catalyst rather than on the support surface [5]. In [5], we discussed the mechanisms of tritium labeling by liquid-phase isotope exchange, hydrogenation, and dehalogenation in a gaseous tritium atmosphere.The isotope exchange with tritium water is performed in a solvent, i.e., molecules of compounds can react with tritium water on active centers of a catalyst. On the other hand, in preparation of tritium water, the catalyst is saturated with activated tritium species (due to hydrogen spillover) [3], and degassing of the catalyst is acccompanied by so-called re...