Chemical reactions induced by fast electron irradiation of benzene in solid xenon were studied by EPR and FTIR spectroscopy. Irradiation at 16 K leads to H atoms and phenyl radicals. Annealing at 45 K results in formation of HXeH and cyclohexadienyl radical ( C 6H 7). A strong IR absorption at 618/620 cm −1 and several weaker bands were assigned to cyclohexadienyl radical from comparison with EPR data and DFT calculations. A computationally stable molecule HXeC 6H 5 was not found experimentally, which means that it is either not formed or not stabilized under the experimental conditions used.