aromatic compounds

[siba]

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"Aromatic compounds must be cyclic, planar, with every atom of the aromatic ring having a P-ORBITAL, and 4n+2pi electrons".

I understand everything except for the part: "having a P-orbital". What does that mean? Could someone help me? Thans!

 

[iverson3504]

alright that means that each atom involved must be sp2 hybridized, so that it has one unhybridized p orbital available to interact with the the adjacent atom's empty p orbital

 

[soopasteve]

alot of the properties of aromatic compounds is related to the charge spread of the conjugated double bonds. the compound has to have the carbons adjacent to the double bond with an empty p orbital so that the electron density from the pi-bond's p orbitals can be spread out towards the empty p-orbital of the adjacent carbons. the molecule has to be flat so that all of the p-orbitals line up.

 

[siba]

Thanks so much!