Recent advances in visible-light photocatalytic deuteration reactions

Deuterated organic compounds have widespread applications in many fields such as medicinal chemistry, mechanistic studies, and quantitative analyses. Traditionally, the incorporation of deuterium atoms into organic compounds can be achieved either by multistep synthesis from commercially available deuterated precursors or by a direct hydrogen isotope exchange (HIE) assisted by an acid/base or a transition metal. Recently, photocatalytic deuteration, normally bearing merits such as mild conditions, good site selectivity, and cheap and readily available deuterium sources, has emerged as a reliable platform for the generation of medicinally and synthetically valuable deuterated organic molecules, especially deuterated pharmaceutical compounds. This review summarizes the recent advances in visible-light photocatalytic deuteration reactions according to the type of bond deuterated in these reactions.