Tritium labeled 4,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(trifluoromethyl)thiazole ( 1 ) wass nthesized with the tritium label located on the phenyl ring a t the C-4 position of tritium a t C-3 was used to prepare tritium la eled 1 with specific activity of 53 pCilmg in 53% overall radiochemical yield. The title compound I was also labeled with carbon-14 atthe C-4 position of the thiazole ring. [ W1Barium carbonate was used as the isotope source, and carbon-14 labeled compound 1 of 31.4 pCiimg was obtained in 54% overall radiochemical yield. Deuterium and carbon-1 3 labeled startin materials and intermediates were used as models for % t 1: e thiazole ring and meta to the methoxy roup. Anisole specifically labeled with preparing the tritium an B carbon-14 labelea compounds, respectively. Key Words. Synthesis, labeled 4,5-6is(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(trifluoromethyl)thiazole, deuterium, tritium, carbon-13, carbon-14 1NTRODUCTlON A number of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, e.g., aspirin (l), dipyridamole (2), flurbiprofen (3), and ibuprofen (4), are known to inhibit platelet aggregation. However the antiplatelet aggregation activity of these agents is low, and clinical demonstration of their antithrombotic utility has not been uniformly successful.A high-volume mouse pulmonary thromboembolism screen (5) was developed to identify compounds which inhibit collagen-induced platelet aggregation. One compound so identified was 4,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-thiazoleacetic acid methyl ester (2). Its potency and unique structural features prompted an analog program which led to the synthesis of the trifluoromethylthiazole I (6), which possessed high potency against collagen-induced platelet aggregation, yet lacked effect on blood coagulation, and showed low toxicity and antiinflammatory activity. Compound 1 is currently under development as a potential antithrombotic agent with clinical utility. To provide tools 434 R. S. P. Hsi and W . T. Stolle for studying i t s absorption, metabolic transformations, and excretion in test animals and man, we embarked on the synthesis of tritium and carbon-14 labeled 1 . 1 DISCUSSION AND RESULTS The synthesis of tritium labeled 4,5-6is(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(tri fluoromethyl)thiazole (16) is outlined in Scheme 1. Lithiation of 3-bromoanisole followed by quenching with tritiated water introduced tritium into a non-exchangeable position (meta to the methoxy group) in the phenyl ring. The meta position of the tritium label in [3-3H]anisole (36) in relation to the methoxy group was supported by the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum of the deuterated analog 3a prepared in the same manner from 3-bromoanisole and deuterium oxide. Friedel-Crafts acylation of 3a and 36 with 4-methoxyphenylacetyl chloride afforded deuterium and tritium labeled 1,2bis(4-methoxyphenyi)ethanone, 4a and 46 respectively. The assignment of the position of the deuterium label in 4a (and by analogy the tritium label in 46), in the phenyl ring adjacent to the carbonyl carbon and at the position ortho to the carbonyl group, wasbased on ...