[Enthalpy]

Alternative route: if one doesn't want to synthesize the C₆ ring, then one step should be completely hydrogen-free, maybe some C₆X₆ - be it the reactive or an intermediate - then converted by pure D to C₆D₆.

[magician4]

can be done...

however, who's going to pay for the sodium deuteride required to dehalogenize hexachlorbenzene?

  Though as an academical discussion this is interesting, for real making this stuff seems like a settled question to me, and I doubt we'll come up with something better than the what already is being done in industries.

regards

Ingo

[Enthalpy]

Not my pocket, so everything can be done...  A deuterium plasma maybe? Or deuterium just hot enough?

Benzene hexachloride is a solid, and if the reaction in made in a solvent, we risk to run into the hydrogen worry again. A perchlorinated solvent instead would react with deuterium when only perchlorobenzene should, not better.

I've just seen Sigma's brand for analytical grade: "Pestanal". That one was new for me and has brought good mood for the whole day. It includes benzene hexachloride.

Here in two EU + Nato countries, I get worries by the secret services every time I write about deuterium, which is controlled because of nuclear proliferation. Does it go the same way where you guys are?

[Enthalpy]

When halogen gets replaced by deuterium, the thingy-benzene must be isolated in much deuterium, to prevent the reaction between several C₆, or even the formation of soot. Maybe warmed C₆X₆ can sublimate before it reacts with D₂.

As an alternative to heat and plasma, could light excite the C-X bond, so it reacts with surrounding D₂? C-Cl needs light at 172nm which is too close to the C₆ resonance, but C₆Br₆ and C₆I₆ must improve.