Substituting deuterium for protium in chemical systems, including acids, reliably produces a kinetic isotope effect due to the difference in mass and zero-point vibrational energy between the two hydrogen isotopes.
The claim addresses a fundamental chemical principle: isotopic substitution (such as replacing protium with deuterium) alters reaction rates, known as the kinetic isotope effect (KIE). Multiple retrieved papers directly investigate, calculate, or utilize deuterium KIEs in proton transfer and related reactions, supporting the validity of the claim.