Revision:Why is benzene stable?

TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > Chemistry > Why is benzene stable?

• The p orbitals on each carbon atom in benzene overlap

• There is delocalisation of electrons in the ring (not 3 localised C==C double bonds)

• This makes benzene more thermodynamically stable than predicted

• It therefore undergoes substitution reactions rather than addition reactions because addition reaction break the delocalisation in the ring. e.g The nitration of benzene results in a loss of H⁺ which is replaced by NO₂⁺

Diagram of Benzene

Comments