A highly efficient synthetic procedure for deuteriating imidazoles and imidazolium salts

Both substituted imidazoles and 1,3-dialkylimidazolium salts can be fully d euteriated on the heterocyclic ring using D2O over heterogeneous Pd catalys ts: deuteriated 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and hexafluorophosphat e ionic liquids can also be prepared in good yields utilising readily avail able and relatively low cost sources of deuterium.