In which year did Faraday discover benzene?

Michael Faraday discovered benzene in 1825. He isolated the compound from the oily residue left when illuminating gas was manufactured and initially called it “bicarburet of hydrogen.”

Faraday’s work established benzene as a distinct hydrocarbon, although nineteenth-century chemists did not yet understand its ring structure. His analysis indicated the formula C6H6, but the atomic weights then in use made the result difficult to interpret correctly.

Later researchers clarified the compound’s identity and naming. Eilhard Mitscherlich prepared it from benzoic acid in 1833, while Charles Mansfield isolated it from coal tar and helped develop its industrial production in the 1840s. The name “benzene” ultimately reflects the compound’s historical connection with benzoin resin.

A common mix-up is to credit August Kekulé with discovering benzene itself. Kekulé’s major contribution came later, in 1865, when he proposed the ring model that explained benzene’s unusual stability and six-carbon structure.