Physical and Chemical properties of Benzene

1. Benzene is a colourless liquid.

2. Benzene is soluble in organic solvents but immiscible in water.
3. It is an aromatic compound so it has a typical aromatic odor. (Aroma in Greek means pleasant
smelling).
4. Benzene is highly inflammable and burns with sooty flame.
5. Benzene also shows resonance that is it can exist in different forms based on the positioning
of double bond and this property of benzene makes it stable. That is why Benzene does not
undergo addition reactions readily but it undergoes substitution reactions.
6. Benzene is lighter than water having density of 0.87g cm-3
7. Benzene has high melting and moderate boiling point. (Melting point 5.5°C, boiling point
80.5°C). For homologous series it increases with the increasing molecular mass because of
the increase in magnitude of Vander Waal’s forces of attraction.
8. All the Carbon- carbon bonds in benzene are of same length which is equal to 140pm. And
bond angle is of 120° with all Carbons having sp2 hybridization
Electrophilic substitution reaction:

1. Nitration of Benzene: Benzene reacts with nitric acid at 323-333 K in the presence of
sulphuric acid to form nitrobenzene. This reaction is known as nitration of Benzene.

Nitration of Benzene

2. Sulfonation of Benzene: Sulfonation of benzene is a process of heating benzene with fuming

sulphuric acid (H2SO4 +SO3) to produce Benzene sulfonic acid. The reaction is reversible in
nature.

Sulfonation of Benzene

3. Halogenation of Benzene: Benzene reacts with halogens in the presence of Lewis acids like
FeCl3, FeBr3 to form aryl halides. This reaction is termed as halogenation of benzene.

Halogenation of Benzene

4. Friedel Craft’s alkylation reaction: When benzene is treated with an alkyl halide in the
presence of a Lewis acid such as anhydrous aluminum chloride, alkyl benzene is formed. This
reaction is popularly known as Friedel Craft’s alkylation reaction.

friedel crafts alkylation

 5. Friedel Craft’s acylation reaction: When benzene is treated with an acyl halide in the
presence of Lewis acid such as anhydrous aluminum chloride, acyl benzene is formed. This
reaction is popularly known as Friedel Craft’s acylation reaction.

friedel craft's acylation

6. Addition reactions: Addition of chlorine in the presence of ultraviolet light produces benzene
hexachloride better known as gammaxene.

7. Combustion of benzene: Upon combustion of benzene, benzene burns with a sooty flame
along with the evolution of CO2 gas.

C6H6 + O2 → CO2 + H2O