Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Isolating Free Carbenes, their Mixed Dimers and Organic Radicals
Published on: April 19, 2019
The non-covalent nature of the molecular structure of the benzene molecule
Thiago Messias Cardozo1, Felipe Fantuzzi, Marco Antonio Chaer Nascimento
1Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, 149, A412, Rio de Janeiro, CEP: 21.941-909, Brazil. chaer01@gmail.com.
Abstract:
The benzene molecule is one of the most emblematic systems in chemistry, with its structural features being present in numerous different compounds. We have carried out an analysis of the influence of quantum mechanical interference on the geometric features of the benzene molecule, showing that many of the characteristics of its equilibrium geometry are a consequence of non-covalent contributions to the energy. This result implies that quasi-classical reasoning should be sufficient to predict the defining aspects of the benzene structure such as its planarity and equivalence of its bond lengths.
Related Concept Videos
Structure of Benzene: Molecular Orbital Model
Structure of Benzene: Kekulé Model
He proposed that benzene has a cyclic structure of six carbon atoms attached to one hydrogen atom each, with three alternating pi bonds.
Frost Circles for Different Conjugated Systems
Resonance
VSEPR Theory
Molecular Shapes
Two regions of electron density in a diatomic...

