Comments on: The Pi Molecular Orbitals of Benzene

By: CHARLES ISACK KIDIFU

CHARLES ISACK KIDIFU — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:57:00 +0000

Surely am from university of Dar es salaam Tanzania Congratulations for a good work

By: Nidhi

Nidhi — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 15:55:23 +0000

Why is the symmetry of the nodal planes broken in case of cyclopentadienyl anion for psi 2 molecular orbital?

By: Shivam

Shivam — Fri, 25 Dec 2020 13:13:15 +0000

Thank you very much, i have found this place really helpful

By: Tahniyath

Tahniyath — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 07:11:35 +0000

why p orbitals of first and third carbon of benzene are not displaced in psi 3 and psi 5 ?

By: James Ashenhurst

James Ashenhurst — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 03:02:00 +0000

In reply to S. Lin. To build the MO diagram, I would use a Frost Circle of an pentagon with the apex pointing down. You'll have the first two pi electrons go in the bottom most level (the apex), but the next two energy levels are degenerate and are half-filled. This is the problem: the molecule has diradical character with two half-filled orbitals of equal energy, a very unstable situation.

By: S. Lin

S. Lin — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 19:39:44 +0000

Could you please explain why cyclopentadienyl cation is anti-aromatic? I know it has 4n pi electrons but the MO diagram indicates that it does not occupy any antibonding MO, it just does not fill bonding MO, what makes it very unstable? Is it because the electrons are not paired up in pi 2 and pi 3 MOs? Thank you very much.

By: James Ashenhurst

James Ashenhurst — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 20:38:34 +0000

In reply to Rangan. No, (4n+2) is just an algebraic expression of the series 2,6,10,14.... It has no physical meaning.

By: Rangan

Rangan — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 14:29:23 +0000

Can we say this degeneracy in benzene is reflected in Hückel’s (4n+2) rule of aromaticity ?

By: James Ashenhurst

James Ashenhurst — Sat, 06 Apr 2019 09:28:31 +0000

In reply to Hayder. Glad you found it helpful Hayder.

By: Hayder

Hayder — Wed, 10 May 2017 21:46:42 +0000

Thank you very much