🥼organic chemistry review

Ring-current

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

In organic chemistry, a ring-current is a circulating flow of electrons in the cyclic molecules of aromatic compounds, which contributes to their unique chemical stability and magnetic properties. This phenomenon is particularly observed in benzene and similar aromatic rings during spectroscopic analysis.