Synthesis of Deuterated Benzene for a Circular Deuterium Economy

Abstract

Deuterium is an important natural isotope; its unique properties can impart significant effects on molecules with emerging applications across electronics and medicinal industries. Aromatic hydrocarbons or arenes are one example of such compounds where deuterium proves advantageous, breaching limitations in commercial organic-based electronics. Current methods introduce deuterium into molecules through direct hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange reactions which depend on a reliable and high supply of deuterium that has been slowly dwindling in recent years. To continue the exploration of deuterium-enriched compounds and their applications, new methods that use deuterium conservatively to achieve efficient H/D exchange are needed. The Canadian company deutraMed™ has responded to this demand by developing a D2O refinery capable of recycling deuterium waste. Working in partnership, the work herein will discuss the development of an H/D exchange procedure to deuterate benzene that is compatible with the D2O refinery. Benzene is a simple arene that is a common motif in compounds related to organic electronics and pharmaceuticals. The large-scale production of deuterated benzene fuels the demand for a versatile building block to access an assortment of compounds relevant to these industries. The development of the H/D exchange procedure found success using hydrothermal conditions to achieve 96% deuteration of benzene at laboratory scale. The results of this work will be beneficial in the further development of this process on an industrial scale.