| Hexamethylbenzene | |
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1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexamethylbenzene |
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Other names
Mellitene |
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| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 87-85-4 |
| Jmol-3D images | Image 1 |
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| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C12H18 |
| Molar mass | 162.27 g mol−1 |
| Appearance | White crystalline powder |
| Melting point |
165 °C, 438 K, 329 °F |
| Boiling point |
265.2 °C, 538 K, 509 °F |
| (verify) (what is: /?) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) |
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| Infobox references | |
Hexamethylbenzene is white crystalline solid with chemical formula C6(CH3)6. It is a synthetic aromatic hydrocarbon with six methyl groups stemming from the carbon centres of the ring. Hexamethylbenzene has historical significance in the field of X-ray crystallography. In 1929, Kathleen Lonsdale first proved the shape of hexamethylbenzene and thus showed that the benzene ring, and by implication its six hydrogen centres, is hexagonal and flat.
Hexamethylbenzene has no significant commercial uses. The six methyl groups enhance the proton affinity of the central ring.[1] Because it is electron-rich, hexamethylbenzene can be used as a ligand in organometallic chemistry. Two examples from organoruthenium chemistry are the sandwich complexes Ru(ɳ4-C6(CH3)6)(ɳ6-C6(CH3)6) and the dication [Ru(ɳ6-C6(CH3)6)2]2+.[2]