The catalytic hydrogenation of liquid hydrocarbons is easy to realize in a simple laboratory experiment using a palladium catalyst. In the case of hydrogenation cyclohexen or cyclohexadiene in addition to the expected finding of cyclohexane among the hydrogenation products, the formation of benzene can be observed. In absence of hydrogen, the disproportionation of both starting materials to cyclohexane and benzene takes place. In chemical education these experiments can be used for an experimental introduction of the benzene molecule. They also give the rare opportunity to discuss processes happening on the surface of a catalyst during catalysis. A two-step-mechanism is worked out with the pupils as a hypothesis which than is successfully checked by an experiment and the analysis by GC.
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