Delocalized Electrons in Organic Chemistry

Flashcards focusing on key concepts related to delocalized electrons, aromatic compounds, resonance, and reactions in organic chemistry.

Delocalized Electrons

Electrons that are shared by three or more atoms, contributing to resonance and stability in molecular structures.

Localized Electrons

Electrons that belong to a single atom or are shared between two atoms, not contributing to resonance.

pKa

A measure of the acidity of a compound, indicating the strength of its acidic contribution.

Aromatic Compound

A cyclic, planar molecule with an uninterrupted ring of p orbitals containing an odd number of pairs of p electrons.

Kekulé’s Structure

A model of benzene proposed by chemist Friedrich Kekulé, depicting benzene as alternating single and double bonds.

Resonance Contributor

A representation of a molecule that depicts possible arrangements of electrons, which are not the actual structure but help to understand delocalization.

Resonance Hybrid

The actual structure of a molecule that is best represented as an average of its resonance contributors.

Delocalization Energy

The extra stability a molecule gains from having delocalized electrons instead of localized ones.

Hückel’s Rule

A rule stating that a planar, cyclic compound is aromatic if it contains an odd number of pairs of p electrons.

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution

A reaction where an electrophile substitutes for a hydrogen on an aromatic ring, preserving its aromaticity.

Kinetic Product

The faster formed product in a reaction, usually less stable than the thermodynamic product.

Thermodynamic Product

The more stable product in a reaction, formed under equilibrium conditions.