Issue 39, 2021

Visualizing electron delocalization in contorted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract

Electron delocalization in contorted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules was examined through 3D isotropic magnetic shielding (IMS) contour maps built around the molecules using pseudo-van der Waals surfaces. The resulting maps of electron delocalization provided an intuitive, yet detailed and quantitative evaluation of the aromatic, non aromatic, and antiaromatic character of the local and global conjugated cyclic circuits distributed over the molecules. An attractive pictural feature of the 3D IMS contour maps is that they are reminiscent of the Clar π-sextet model of aromaticity. The difference in delocalization patterns between the two faces of the electron circuits in contorted PAHs was clearly visualized. For π-extended contorted PAHs, some splits of the π system resulted in recognizable patterns typical of smaller PAHs. The differences between the delocalization patterns of diastereomeric chiral PAHs could also be visualized. Mapping IMS on pseudo-van der Waals surfaces around contorted PAHs allowed visualization of their superimposed preferred circuits for electron delocalization and hence their local and global aromaticity patterns.

Graphical abstract: Visualizing electron delocalization in contorted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
21 jun 2021
Accepted
03 sep 2021
First published
08 sep 2021
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2021,12, 13092-13100

Visualizing electron delocalization in contorted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

A. Artigas, D. Hagebaum-Reignier, Y. Carissan and Y. Coquerel, Chem. Sci., 2021, 12, 13092 DOI: 10.1039/D1SC03368A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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