Kekulé structure

Definition

A Kekulé structure is a representation of the molecular structure of benzene and other aromatic compounds, showing alternating single and double bonds between carbon atoms in a ring. It highlights the concept of bond resonance in cyclic compounds by illustrating one of several possible configurations.

Related terms

Aromatic compound: An aromatic compound contains rings of carbon atoms connected through alternating single and double bonds that follow specific stability rules known as Hückel’s rule.

Resonance: Resonance in chemistry refers to the phenomenon where a molecule or ion cannot be adequately described by a single structural formula but is better represented by two or more formulas showing different arrangements of electrons.

Bonding theory: Bonding theory encompasses various models explaining how atoms combine to form molecules by sharing electrons, including theories that explain the behavior of electrons in molecules like resonance and hybridization