BENZENE RING:

Benzene (C6H6) is a well known carcinogenic compound with pleasant aroma

and highly flammable. It boils at 80.1C and the melting point of benzene is 5.5C.
The heat of vaporization of benzene is 44.3 kJ/mol and a heat of fusion is 9.84
kJ/mol. The molecular formula that C6H6 proves that there must be some un
saturation in molecule.
In 1867, Claus first explained the ri ng structure of benzene with three
diagonal pi bonds. Later in 1867 and
1869 Dewar and Ladenburg gave a
new ring form to explain the properties
of

benzene.

purposed

In

1887

prismane

Armstrong
form

for

benzene. All these ring structure failed

to explain the stability and chemical
properties of benzene.
In 1899, Thiele purposed one new
ring form in which three pi bonds
represents by a dotted circle and finally in 1865 Kekul gave the cyclic structure of
benzene with three alternate pi bonds which is used in currently in organic
structure. It exists in a cyclic ring form with three pi bonds which are arranged in
alternate manner and show conjugation.
So there are three Carbon-carbon single bonds with three carbon-carbon
double bonds. The bond length of carbon-carbon single bond is 0.1536 nm and
C=C bind length is 0.130 nm. The same bond length must be there in benzene
molecule. But in benzene molecule all carbon-carbon bonds are of same bond
length that is 0.1399 nm which is intermediate to single and double bond length.