Benzene, << BEHN zeen, >> (chemical formula, C6H6) is a colorless liquid with a pleasant odor. It is sometime called benzol. Benzene is the simplest of a group of compounds called aromatic hydrocarbons (see Hydrocarbon (Aromatics) ). Most benzene is obtained from petroleum. It is used as an industrial solvent in the production of polystyrene, synthetic rubber, nylon, detergents, and dyes. Benzene has been shown to cause cancer.
The benzene molecule has six carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal ring. The atoms are connected by alternating single and double bonds. This structure, called the benzene ring, is found in thousands of different compounds, including aniline, a dye-making chemical; benzaldehyde, an oil made from bitter almonds; and TNT, aspirin, oil of wintergreen, and some amino acids.
Benzene is lighter than water and is almost insoluble in it. Benzene vapor burns easily and has a smoky flame. Benzene melts at 5.5 °C (42 °F) and boils at 80.1 °C (176.2 °F).
The British physicist Michael Faraday discovered benzene in 1825. In 1865, Friedrich August Kekulé, a German chemist, proposed the ringlike structure of the benzene molecule that scientists accept today. Kekulé’s proposal was a major step in the development of organic chemistry, the study of chemicals that contain carbon atoms.
