Abstract
This thesis is concerned with the preparation of regiospecifically labelled compounds by homogeneous metal catalysed hydrogen isotope exchange reactions. The features of homogeneous hydrogen isotope exchange reactions are discussed in Chapter 1, along with other exchange methods; acid, base, heterogenous metal, radiation, enzymic and zeolite catalysis. In Chapter 2, homogeneous rhodium trichloride is investigated for regiospecificity of tritium labeling in a wide range of aromatic compounds. High regiospecificity of labelling ortho to carboxyl, carboxamide and methanamide groups is found, with the regiospecificity determined by 3H nmr spectroscopy. Also discussed is a study to determine whether any other Group VIII metal complexes will catalyse the ortho tritiation of benzoic acid, in addition to rhodium trichloride. The results of detritiation studies performed on benzoic acids using ruthenium acetylacetonate as catalyst as a model for rhodium trichloride are presented in Chapter 3, A possible reaction mechanism is also presented. Finally, an application of the rhodium trichloride system to the labelling of biologically useful molecules is discussed in Chapter 4. The deuteration and tritiation of a number of drugs and metabolites containing known ortho directing groups is described. In a large number of cases, the regiospecificity for ortho labelling is very high.