Chemistry 1027A/B Lecture Notes - Furan, Phenyl Group, Nitration
Document Summary
Key concepts in organic chemistry: arenes (usselman version) Benzene has 4 units of unsaturation, but is remarkably stable. All compounds containing the benzene ring system do not undergo any of the typical alkene reactions do to its supreme stability. Benzene compounds have come to be known as aromatic compounds, though many of them are toxic and carcinogenic. The benzene group of compounds are known as arenes and substituents containing an aromatic group are named as aryl substituents (given the symbol ar). The lobes of the 6 p orbitals gives a molecular orbital with electron density above and below the ring plane (torus configuration). Benzene is more stable than a cyclohexane ring containing 3 c = c. this increased stability due to resonance is called its resonance energy. Resonance stabilization is the central feature, termed aromaticity, of all ring compounds (aromatic compounds).