Which of the following was true of Kekulé's proposal for the structure of benzene?
A) It was readily accepted.
B) It was rejected because it was inconsistent with experiment.
C) It was not readily accepted since it did not account for the very different reactivity of benzene compared with alkenes.
D) It was not readily accepted since it did not account for the known structure of benzene.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Kekulé's proposal for the structure of benzene was not readily accepted since it did not account for the very different reactivity of benzene compared with alkenes. His proposal initially suggested that benzene was a cyclohexatriene with alternating double bonds, which would make its reactivity similar to other alkenes. However, benzene is much less reactive than alkenes and undergoes substitution reactions rather than addition reactions. Kekulé later revised his proposal to suggest that the carbons in benzene form a ring with alternating single and double bonds, which better explained its unique reactivity.

Which of the Following Was True of Kekulé's Proposal for the Structure