Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Aromatic hydrocarbons are a class of hydrocarbons that contain one or more benzene rings in their molecular structure. They are known for their stability and unique chemical properties due to resonance.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
Aromatic hydrocarbons, also known as arenes, have delocalized electrons in a conjugated pi system within the benzene ring.
The simplest aromatic hydrocarbon is benzene (C6H6).
Aromaticity follows Hückel's rule, which states that a molecule is aromatic if it has $(4n + 2)\pi$ electrons (where n is a non-negative integer).
Common reactions involving aromatic hydrocarbons include electrophilic aromatic substitution (e.g., nitration, halogenation).
Aromatic hydrocarbons are often found in products like dyes, pharmaceuticals, and plastics.
Benzene (C6H6) is the simplest aromatic hydrocarbon with a ring structure of six carbon atoms and six hydrogen atoms, exhibiting resonance.
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: A type of organic reaction where an atom on an aromatic ring is replaced by an electrophile. Examples include nitration and halogenation.
Hückel's Rule: \text{A rule that determines if a planar ring molecule will exhibit aromaticity based on having }(4n + 2)\pi \text{ electrons}.