Kekulene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon which consists of 12 fused benzene rings arranged in a circle. It is therefore classified as a [12]-circulene with the chemical formula C48H24. It was first synthesized in 1978,[2] and was named in honor of August Kekulé, the discoverer of the structure of the benzene molecule.
^ abStaab, Heinz A.; Diederich, François; Krieger, Claus; Schweitzer, Dieter (1983). "Cycloarenes, a New Class of Aromatic Compounds, II. Molecular Structure and Spectroscopic Properties of Kekulene". Chemische Berichte. 116 (10): 3504–3512. doi:10.1002/cber.19831161022.
^Staab, Heinz A.; Diederich, François (October 1983). "Cycloarenes, a New Class of Aromatic Compounds, I. Synthesis of Kekulene". Chemische Berichte. 116 (10): 3487–3503. doi:10.1002/cber.19831161021.