Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Structure of Benzene: Molecular Orbital Model

Structure of Benzene: Molecular Orbital Model

According to the molecular orbital (MO) model, benzene has a planar structure with a regular hexagon of six sp2 hybridized carbons. As shown in Figure 1, each carbon is bonded to three other atoms with C–C–C and H–C–C bond angles of 120°. The C–H bond length is 109 pm, and the C–C bond length is 139 pm which is midway between the single bond length of sp3 hybridized carbons (154 pm) and sp2 hybridized carbons (133 pm).

Structure of Benzene: Kekulé Model

Structure of Benzene: Kekulé Model

In 1865, August Kekule suggested the structure of benzene according to the structural theory of organic chemistry based on the three assertions—formula of benzene is C6H6, all the hydrogens of benzene are equivalent, and each carbon must have four bonds due to its tetravalency.
He proposed that benzene has a cyclic structure of six carbon atoms attached to one hydrogen atom each, with three alternating pi bonds.

Molecular Orbital Theory II

Molecular Orbital Theory II

Molecular Orbital Energy Diagrams

Benzene to 1,4-Cyclohexadiene: Birch Reduction Mechanism

Benzene to 1,4-Cyclohexadiene: Birch Reduction Mechanism

Birch reduction uses solvated electrons as reducing agents. The reaction converts benzene to 1,4-cyclohexadiene. The reaction proceeds by the transfer of a single electron to the ring to form a benzene radical anion. This anion is highly basic—it abstracts a proton from the alcohol to form a cyclohexadienyl radical. Another single electron transfer gives the cyclohexadienyl anion. A proton transfer from the alcohol forms 1,4-cyclohexadiene. Since this reduction occurs via radical anion...

Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Unlike the easy catalytic hydrogenation of an alkene double bond, hydrogenation of a benzene double bond under similar reaction conditions does not take place easily. For example, in the reduction of stilbene, the benzene ring remains unaffected while the alkene bond gets reduced. Hydrogenation of an alkene double bond is exothermic and a favorable process. In contrast, to hydrogenate the first unsaturated bond of benzene, an energy input is needed; that is, the process is endothermic. This is...

NMR Spectroscopy of Benzene Derivatives

NMR Spectroscopy of Benzene Derivatives

Simple unsubstituted benzene has six aromatic protons, all chemically equivalent. Therefore, benzene exhibits only a singlet peak at δ 7.3 ppm in the 1H NMR spectrum. The observed shift is far downfield because the aromatic ring current strongly deshields the protons. Any substitution on the benzene ring makes the aromatic protons nonequivalent, and the protons split each other. The peak is, therefore, no longer a singlet and the splitting pattern and their associated coupling constants depend...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Why is the eclipsed form of dimethylacetylene more stable than its staggered form?

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026

Same author

Subsurface Stabilization of Interstitial Pt Atoms on CeO<sub>2</sub>(111): Rethinking Single-Atom Catalyst Architectures.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

Same author

PNcsp+: A Periodic Number-Based Crystal Structure Prediction Method Enhanced by Machine Learning.

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2026

Same author

The XPS of azines: A comparative study.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026

Same author

Enhanced Energy Transfer from a Metal-Organic Framework to a Highly Confined Organic Phosphorescent Dye.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026

Same author

f-Block Element-Based MOF Thin Films: A Platform for Luminescence, Sensing, and Energy Applications.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Determining Surface Areas and Pore Volumes of Metal-Organic Frameworks

Determining Surface Areas and Pore Volumes of Metal-Organic Frameworks

Published on: March 8, 2024

Adsorption of benzene on coinage metals: a theoretical analysis using wavefunction-based methods.

Riccarda Caputo¹, Brian P Prascher, Volker Staemmler

¹Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie I, and Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780, Germany.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. A

|November 15, 2007

Summary

Benzene interaction with silver surfaces was studied using advanced electronic structure calculations. This research provides insights into benzene

More Related Videos

Determining the Chemical Composition of Corrosion Inhibitor/Metal Interfaces with XPS: Minimizing Post Immersion Oxidation

Determining the Chemical Composition of Corrosion Inhibitor/Metal Interfaces with XPS: Minimizing Post Immersion Oxidation

Published on: March 15, 2017

1,3,5-Triphenylbenzene and Corannulene as Electron Receptors for Lithium Solvated Electron Solutions

1,3,5-Triphenylbenzene and Corannulene as Electron Receptors for Lithium Solvated Electron Solutions

Published on: October 10, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Determining Surface Areas and Pore Volumes of Metal-Organic Frameworks

Determining Surface Areas and Pore Volumes of Metal-Organic Frameworks

Published on: March 8, 2024

Determining the Chemical Composition of Corrosion Inhibitor/Metal Interfaces with XPS: Minimizing Post Immersion Oxidation

Determining the Chemical Composition of Corrosion Inhibitor/Metal Interfaces with XPS: Minimizing Post Immersion Oxidation

Published on: March 15, 2017

1,3,5-Triphenylbenzene and Corannulene as Electron Receptors for Lithium Solvated Electron Solutions

1,3,5-Triphenylbenzene and Corannulene as Electron Receptors for Lithium Solvated Electron Solutions

Published on: October 10, 2016

Area of Science:

Surface Science
Computational Chemistry
Materials Science

Background:

Understanding molecule-surface interactions is crucial for catalysis and materials design.
Coinage metals (copper, gold, silver) are widely used in catalysis and electronics.
Previous studies analyzed benzene on copper and gold, necessitating comparison with silver.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the electronic structure changes during benzene adsorption on a silver (Ag111) surface.
To compare benzene-silver interactions with those on copper and gold surfaces.
To provide a consistent understanding of benzene adsorption on coinage metal surfaces.

Main Methods:

Utilized reliable ab initio electronic structure calculations.
Employed a wavefunction-based approach to accurately describe van der Waals forces.
Applied second-order perturbation theory to model correlation effects in weak interactions.

Main Results:

Determined the interaction of benzene with a Ag(111) surface.
Calculated surface dipole moment and work function changes upon benzene adsorption.
Established a consistent electronic structure picture for benzene on coinage metal surfaces.

Conclusions:

The wavefunction-based approach accurately captures weak van der Waals interactions in benzene-metal systems.
Benzene adsorption on silver surfaces leads to specific electronic structure modifications.
This study enhances the understanding of benzene's behavior on densely packed coinage metal surfaces.