Electrochemical Alkyl Displacement of Thioethers for Streamlined Trideuteromethylation

as the trideuteromethyl isotopic source via a sulfide alkyl displacement. This protocol features operational simplicity, selectivity, and scalability, enabling direct alkyl modification of various aryl alkyl sulfides as well as gram-scale production of trideuteromethyl drugs without the need for synthetic precursors. Mechanistic studies show that the in-situ generated sulfonium salt was the key intermediate. A series of control experiments reveals that alkanes as the departing moiety are the key to alkyl displacement and precise late-stage trideuteration.