A method for the synthesis of 2‐amino‐4‐fluoro‐bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane‐2,6‐dicarboxylic acid‐[ 3 H 2 ]

A process for double deuterium labeling of an alcohol was developed. The process was utilized in the subsequent tritium labeling of a secondary alcohol with high specific activity (24 Ci/mmol) by reduction of the corresponding ketone using sodium borotritide. The starting ketone was first brominated with pyridinium tribromide; the resulting alpha bromoketone was then reduced in THF/alcohol in the presence of Ni(OAc) 2 . The alcohol was then converted to 2‐amino‐4‐fluorobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane‐2,6‐dicarboxylic acid‐[ 3 H 2 ], an mGluR agonist. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.