Royal Institution "Discourse: Celebrating 200 years of benzene - From whale oil"

This livestream from the Royal Institution of Great Britain invites you to listen to Chemist Judy Wu as she explores the ongoing significance of a chemical compound first isolated at the Ri 200 years ago: benzene.

ADVANCE BOOKING AND PAYMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS TALK.
More details and booking instructions on the RI web site:

https://www.rigb.org/whats-on/discourse-celebrating-200-years-benzene-whale-oil-aromaticity

SUMMARY
Join us for this special Discourse as we Discover200, celebrating 200 years of Ri Discourses and the discovery of benzene.

Benzene has played a significant role in modern science and industry since it was first isolated by Michael Faraday in 1825 - originally from whale oil as a by-product of gas production - here at the Royal Institution.

In this Discourse, Judy Wu will explore the discoveries, challenges, and unexpected revelations encountered by chemists who devoted their work to unravelling the mysteries of benzene and its significance.
Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, various chemists presented different models to account for the structure and the extraordinary chemical stability of benzene.

The first part of this talk will cover a brief history of benzene, including key discoveries made at the Royal Institution, and tell how chemists came to understand the structure and reactivity of benzene. The second part will address the evolution of the definition of aromaticity.

The term aromaticity, originally linked to the distinctive smell and chemical structure of benzene, has evolved significantly to include many molecules that are not “benzene-like” at all. We will talk about discoveries that reshaped chemists' understanding of the concept of aromaticity and how this concept is now applied in practical fields of chemistry and technology.

The Discourse will start promptly at 7.30pm. A Pay Bar will be available from 6.00pm. It will open again after the talk, until 9.30pm.

If you register but miss the livestream, the video will normally be available to you via the same link for two weeks after the event date.

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