Final answer:
Friedrich Kekulé is recognized for proposing the cyclic structure of benzene, characterized by delocalized double bonds and a hexagonal shape. Benzene is a precursor to many commercial products, although it has toxic effects. It serves as the foundation for various aromatic compounds through substitution reactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The person often credited with the discovery of the structure of benzene is Friedrich Kekulé, a German chemist in the 1800s. Kekulé has a famous anecdote associated with his discovery, where he supposedly envisioned the cyclic structure of benzene in a dream of a snake biting its own tail. Although the validity of the dream story is debatable, Kekulé's proposal of benzene's cyclic structure with alternating single and double bonds has been fundamental in the field of organic chemistry. Benzene, with its delocalized double bonds and hexagonal shape, is a starting material for many products, including detergents, dyes, and plastics, despite its toxic effects. It is also important to note that benzene derivatives are formed by the substitution of its hydrogen atoms with other substituents, maintaining the delocalized bonding structure intact.
Benzene and its derivatives belong to a class of compounds known as aromatic compounds. These aromatic compounds are more likely to undergo substitution reactions rather than addition reactions due to the stability provided by the delocalized electrons within the molecule. The structure of benzene is often represented by a hexagon with a circle inside, indicating the equal sharing of the valence electrons across all six carbon atoms, with every carbon atom also bonded to a hydrogen atom.