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Related Concept Videos

Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations: Structural Overview01:18

Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations: Structural Overview

Cycloheptatriene is a neutral monocyclic unsaturated hydrocarbon that consists of an odd number of carbon atoms and an intervening sp3 carbon in the ring. The three double bonds in the ring correspond to 6 π electrons, which is a Huckel number, and therefore satisfies the criteria of 4n + 2 π electrons. However, the intervening sp3 carbon disrupts the continuous overlap of p orbitals. As a result, cycloheptatriene is not aromatic.
Removing one hydrogen from the intervening CH2 group with both...
[4+2] Cycloaddition of Conjugated Dienes: Diels–Alder Reaction01:16

[4+2] Cycloaddition of Conjugated Dienes: Diels–Alder Reaction

The Diels–Alder reaction is an example of a thermal pericyclic reaction between a conjugated diene and an alkene or alkyne, commonly referred to as a dienophile. The reaction involves a concerted movement of six π electrons, four from the diene and two from the dienophile, forming an unsaturated six-membered ring. As a result, these reactions are classified as [4+2] cycloadditions.
Frost Circles for Different Conjugated Systems01:18

Frost Circles for Different Conjugated Systems

The inscribed polygon method is consistent with Hückel’s 4n + 2 rule and helps to learn whether the given cyclic compound is aromatic or not. The compound is stable and aromatic if every bonding molecular orbital (MO) is completely filled with a pair of electrons. However, if the non-bonding or antibonding orbitals are filled with electrons, the compound is unstable and not aromatic. Consider the Frost circle diagrams for cycloalkenes containing 4 to 8 carbons.
Structure of Conjugated Dienes01:16

Structure of Conjugated Dienes

Introduction
Conjugated dienes are compounds characterized by the presence of alternating double and single bonds. In a conjugated system like 1,3-butadiene, the unhybridized 2p orbital on each carbon overlaps continuously, allowing the π electrons to be delocalized across the entire molecule. In contrast, this type of overlap does not occur in cumulated and isolated dienes, such as 2,3-pentadiene and 1,4-pentadiene, respectively. Instead, the π electrons remain localized between the double...
Criteria for Aromaticity and the Hückel 4n + 2 Rule01:20

Criteria for Aromaticity and the Hückel 4n + 2 Rule

Like benzene, cyclobutadiene and cyclooctatetraene are cyclic compounds with alternate single and double bonds. However, their chemical behavior differs from benzene, as they are unstable and not aromatic. So, what are the structural characteristics of unsaturated compounds categorized as aromatic?
For the first time, Eric Hückel, a German chemical physicist, derived a set of structural features for a compound to be classified as aromatic. This is now known as Hückel’s rule or the 4n + 2 rule.
UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Woodward–Fieser Rules01:29

UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Woodward–Fieser Rules

UV–Visible absorption spectra of conjugated dienes arise from the lowest energy π → π* transitions. The light-absorbing part of the molecule is called the chromophore, and the substituents directly attached to the chromophore are called auxochromes. A strong correlation exists between the absorption maxima, λmax, and the structure of a conjugated π system. The Woodward–Fieser rules predict the value of λmax for a given structure by adding the contributions...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Preparation of a Corannulene-functionalized Hexahelicene by Copper(I)-catalyzed Alkyne-azide Cycloaddition of Nonplanar Polyaromatic Units
09:35

Preparation of a Corannulene-functionalized Hexahelicene by Copper(I)-catalyzed Alkyne-azide Cycloaddition of Nonplanar Polyaromatic Units

Published on: September 18, 2016

DFT calculations on heterocyclacenes.

Stefan C Kornmayer1, Birgit Esser, Rolf Gleiter

  • 1Organisch-Chemisches Institut der Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany.

Organic Letters
|January 14, 2009
PubMed
Summary

This study explored novel sulfur and nitrogen-containing cyclacenes, predicting stable macrocycles formed by annelating conjugated rings into hoop structures using computational methods.

Area of Science:

  • Computational chemistry and materials science.
  • Organic chemistry and supramolecular chemistry.

Background:

  • Cyclacenes are a class of cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with potential applications in molecular electronics.
  • Exploring heteroatom incorporation can tune electronic and structural properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the geometries and relative energies of novel cyclacenes containing sulfur and nitrogen.
  • To predict the thermodynamic stability of these heteroatom-containing macrocycles.

Main Methods:

  • Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were employed.
  • Theoretical investigation of molecular geometries and energy landscapes.

Main Results:

  • Two types of cyclacenes were studied, featuring eight-membered or six-membered rings.

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Accessing Valuable Ligand Supports for Transition Metals: A Modified, Intermediate Scale Preparation of 1,2,3,4,5-Pentamethylcyclopentadiene
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Accessing Valuable Ligand Supports for Transition Metals: A Modified, Intermediate Scale Preparation of 1,2,3,4,5-Pentamethylcyclopentadiene

Published on: March 20, 2017

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Isolating Free Carbenes, their Mixed Dimers and Organic Radicals
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Accessing Valuable Ligand Supports for Transition Metals: A Modified, Intermediate Scale Preparation of 1,2,3,4,5-Pentamethylcyclopentadiene

Published on: March 20, 2017

  • All investigated structures predicted thermodynamically stable macrocycles.
  • Linear annelation of conjugated rings formed stable hoop-shaped structures.

    • Conclusions:

    • Novel sulfur and nitrogen-containing cyclacenes are predicted to be thermodynamically stable.
    • The linear annelation strategy is effective for creating stable macrocyclic structures.