A Direct Route to Deuterated gem -Difluorinated Cyclopropanes via Base-Catalyzed H/D Exchange

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-d6 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.