Why is benzene aromatic?

1 Answer
anor277
Jun 29, 2017

Because it has #6# #pi# electrons constrained, and delocalized around a ring.

Explanation:

Benzene satisfies the Huckel criterion, i.e. ; it has #4n+2=6# #pi# electrons delocalized around a planar ring. This confers special stability, and special reactivity. While benzene is an aromatic carbocycle, heterocyclic aromatics exist, e.g. pyrrole, #C_4H_4NH#, furan, #C_4H_4O#, etc, in which the lone pairs on the heteroatom are delocalized.

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