A new approach to specific labelling of organic compounds with tritium: Catalysed exchange in solution with tritium gas

In a new approach to the specific labelling of organic compounds with tritium use is made of isotope exchange with tritium of certain specific hydrogen atoms in organic molecules when stirred with tritium gas in solution at room temperature in the presence of a metal hydrogen transfer catalyst. Specifically labelled tritiated compounds of high specific activity and radio‐chemical purity are obtained. The method can be used for labelling a wide variety of organic compounds including purines, purine nucleosides and nucleotides, aromatic amines and amino acids, carbohydrates and steroids. Numerous examples are cited and possible mechanisms discussed.