I am going to give here a lab. procedure for the synthesis of aniline in good yield. However, I should warn you, this procedure is not for the kiddies: benzene, nitrobenzene & aniline are nasty compounds (no joking).
Reaction scheme: benzene --> nitrobenzene --> aniline
Synthesis of nitrobenzene
Procedure:
!!! This preparation should be conducted in an efficient fume cupboard.
Place 50 g (35 mL, c. 0.5 mol)of concentrated nitric acid in a 500-mL round-bottomed flask, and add, in portions with shaking, 74 g (40 mL) of concentrated sulfuric acid. Keep the mixture cool during the addition by immersing the flak in cold water. Place a thermometer (110 °C range) in the acid mixture. Introduce 26 g (30 mL, 0.33 mol of benzene (CAUTION) in portions of 2 - 3 mL; shake the flask well to ensure thorough mixing, after each addition of benzene. Do not allow the temperature to rise over 55 °C; immerse the flask, if necessary, in cold water or in ice water. When all the benzene has been added, fit a reflux condenser to the flask and heat it in a water bath maintained at 60 °C (but not appreciably higher) for 40 - 45 minutes; remove the flask from time to time and shake it vigorously to ensure good mixing of the immiscible layers. Pour the contents of the flask into about 500 mL of cold water in a beaker, stir the mixture well in order to wash out as much acid as possible from the nitrobenzene and allow to stand. When the nitrobenzene has settled to the bottom, pour of the acid liquor as completely as possible, and transfer the residual liquid to a separatory funnel. Run off the lower layer of nitrobenzene and reject the upper aqueous layer; return the nitrobenzene to the separatory funnel and shake it vigorously with about 50 mL of water. Separate the nitrobenzene as completely as possible and rin it into a small conical flask containing about 5 g of anhydrous calcium chloride. If the nitrobenzene does not become clear because of the presence of emulsified water, warm the mixture, with shaking, for a short period on a water bath; the cloudiness will soon disappear. Filter the cold product through a small fluted filter paper into a small (50- or 100-mL)distilling flask and attach a still-head and air condenser. Heat the flask on a ceramic-centred wire gauze or preferably in an air bath, and collect the fraction which boils at 206 - 211 °C. (1). Do not distill quite to dryness nor allow the temperature to rise above 214 °C, for there may be a residue of m-dinitrobenzene or higher nitro compounds and an explosion may result. The yield of nitrobenzene is 35 g (85 %). Pure nitrobenzene is a clear, pale yellow liquid, B.P. = 210 °C.
(1) Nitrobenzene is appreciably toxic and its vapour should not be allowed to escape into the atmosphere of the laboratory. Site the distillation apparatus in a fume cupboard, use the receiver assembly illustrated in fig. 2.98, and attach to the outlet of the receiver adapter a piece of rubber tubing leading to the extraction system. The liquid is also a skin poison, if accidentally spilled on the skin, it should be removed by washing with a little methylated spirit, followed by soap and warm water.
Source: Vogel, 5th ed., p 854
I'll type in the reduction of the nitrobenzene after I had a good night sleep, for those who can't wait, it's from Vogel p. 892