title: Synthesis, NMR Characterization, and a Simple Application of Lithium Borotritide.
abstract: LiBH(4) is a powerful and selective reagent for regiospecific reduction reactions. A simple synthesis of LiB(3)H(4) at near theoretical specific radioactivity is reported. We have treated Li(3)H synthesized from tritium gas ((3)H(2), approximately 98%) with BBr(3) to produce LiB(3)H(4) (specific activity = 4120 GBq/mmol = 110 Ci/mmol. The maximum theoretical specific activity of LiB(3)H(4) is 4252 GBq/mmol = 115.04 Ci/mmol; 1 matom of (3)H = 1063 GBq = 28.76 Ci.) The tritium labeling performance of the reagent was tested by an exemplary reduction of 2-naphthaldehyde to 2-naphthalenemethanol. LiB(3)H(4) and the reduction products were characterized by a combination of (1)H, (3)H, and (11)B NMR techniques, as appropriate.
authors.affiliation: National Tritium Labelling Facility, Structural Biology Division, E. O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720 and Sandoz Pharma Ltd., Chemical Research and Development, Basle CH-4002, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Chit
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Than
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Andres
authors.forename: Philip G.
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Williams