RP Chamoli & AM Painuly

The history of organic compounds is full of miraculous molecules that changed the world. Amongst them, benzene occupies a unique position and shines like a polestar in the huge sky of the scientific world. Let us begin the story of benzene with the famous quote of the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BCE). “Study the past, if you would define the future”.

The year 2025 marked the bicentenary of the discovery of benzene, the simplest and fascinating aromatic hydrocarbon that acted as a cornerstone in the production of a vast number of organic molecules. These are widely used in the synthesis of drugs, dyes, foodstuffs, agrochemicals, and many other essential commodities of human life. The world around us consists of numerous compounds having a benzene structure in their constitution. All the living systems seem to be very complicated, but they are just collections of large and small organic molecules (often involving benzene as a mainstay) that function according to the laws of nature. Nobel laureate James Watson (of DNA fame) stated that “Life is simply a matter of chemistry”…read more on NOPR