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The human story of benzene

Nature Chemistry volume 17, pages 1621–1623 (2025) Cite this article

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The discovery of benzene two centuries ago marked a turning point in chemistry. From contributing to the development of chemical bonding concepts, to its practical use in the chemical industry, the story of this ring-shaped molecule is a combination of curiosity, science, and human kindness.

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Fig. 1: Michael Faraday apprenticeship plaque.
The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

Chris Dorney / Alamy

Fig. 2: The structure of benzene.
The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

Change history

  • 11 November 2025

    In the version of the article initially published, Albert Ladenburg’s surname appeared incorrectly (as “Ladenberg”) in Fig. 2 and the main text. This has now been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.

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  1. University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Judy I. Wu

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  1. Judy I. Wu
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Correspondence to Judy I. Wu.

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Wu, J.I. The human story of benzene. Nat. Chem. 17, 1621–1623 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-01976-9

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