https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220902090634.htm

"Everyone knows that petrol smells nice. This is because it contains the aromatic molecule benzene. And aromatic molecules don't just smell nice: they have many useful chemical properties. Our discovery means that we can add more properties," says Bo Durbeej, professor of computational physics at Linköping University.

In normal organic chemistry, heat can be used to start reactions. However, an aromatic molecule is a stable hydrocarbon, and it is difficult to initiate reactions between such molecules and others simply by heating. This is because the molecule is already in an optimal energy state. In contrast, a reaction in which an aromatic molecule is formed takes place extremely readily.