Benzene

Benzene is an organic chemical compound with the formula C₆H₆. It is sometimes abbreviated Ph-H. Benzene is a colorless and flammable liquid with a sweet smell and a relatively high melting point.

Benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon present in small proportion in some crude oils and made commercially from petroleum by the catalytic reforming of naphthenes in petroleum naphtha. Also made from coal in the manufacture of coke. Used as a solvent in the manufacture of detergents, synthetic fibers, petrochemicals, and as a component of high-octane gasoline.

Structure and Controversy

The structure of benzene has been a matter of debate in the scientific establishment since its empirical formula (CH) was able to be deduced. After the molecular formula, C₆H₆ was discovered, it allowed for a lot more speculation on the structure with many different ones being suggested, most involving multiple double bonds and ring structures. Kekulé came up with the structure accepted now by most of the scientific establishment, that of alternating single and double bonds in a six-membered ring. However, this structure is applied inconsistently, with many textbooks swapping randomly between the two possible structures, with no thought to the underlying reality. This has led some leading chemists to demand that this controversy it taught to students, including Dr Azo Mazur of the Rediscovery institute.

See Also

• Rediscovery Institute diagram illustrating the issue.
• Rediscovery Institute