noun
- the process of replacing hydrogen atoms in a molecule with deuterium atoms, or the state of being so replaced
Usage: technical; chemistry
Examples
- Deuteration is commonly used in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to simplify molecular analysis.
- The deuteration of water creates heavy water, which has different physical properties than ordinary water.
- Researchers employed deuteration to track the movement of hydrogen atoms through a biochemical pathway.
- Deuteration can help scientists study reaction mechanisms by making hydrogen atoms easier to detect.
- The compound underwent partial deuteration to improve its stability in laboratory experiments.