Subject: aromaticity w/o orbitals

From: "Shobe, Dave" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2001 12:08:59 -0400

Another question in the philosophical debate about orbitals.

The explanation of aromaticity and the 4n+2 rule that I was taught was very
dependent on the idea of orbitals.  In fact, it was usually presented in
terms of the Huckel orbitals derived from the molecular graph of the pi
system.  My question is, is it possible to explain the Huckel 4n+2 rule
without appealing to orbitals? How does one do it?

--David Shobe
Süd-Chemie Inc.
phone (502) 634-7409
fax     (502) 634-7724
email  [email-masked]

Don't bother flaming me: I'm behind a firewall.

---

From: "T. Daniel Crawford" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2001 23:07:41 -0400 (EDT)

> without appealing to orbitals? How does one do it?

The recent issue of Chemical Reviews dedicated entirely to the topic of
aromaticity may be useful to you.  See issue five of the current volume.
Prof. Paul Schleyer, whose recent work in alternative definitions of
aromaticity based on magnetic susceptibilities is well known, is the
guest editor.

-Daniel

-- 
T. Daniel Crawford                           Department of Chemistry
[email-masked]                                    Virginia Tech
www.chem.vt.edu/chem-dept/crawford    Voice: 540-231-7760  FAX: 540-231-3255
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