Organic chem question?

[Ferferi]

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What does it mean when they say a molecular structure is planar or co-planar?

 

[ROCOCO8]

If you're referring to E2 reactions where the LG and the H need to be "coplanar", it means that both LG and H need to be axial - in the "same" (co) plane.

 

[sacapuntas]

If you're referring to E2 reactions where the LG and the H need to be "coplanar", it means that both LG and H need to be axial - in the "same" (co) plane.

So does coplanar and anti-periplanar mean the same thing?

 

[Ferferi]

Thanks
But what about aromatic structures that should be planar? .How do say a molecule is planar?

 

[ROCOCO8]

It means that they are "flat"- basically that no atom is sticking outside of the plane of all the others. I wouldn't worry too much about whether the compounds are planar or not. For all the questions regarding aromaticity, I've never come across one where it is considered "antiaromatic" because the compound was not planar. In determining aromaticity, we just have to assume that all of the compounds they give us are planar... but then figure out if they are cyclic, have 4n + 2 pi electrons, etc. I hope I'm making sense 🙂