Why are arenes known as aromatic hydrocarbons?
Ulex says In former times, when less was known about the structure of organic compounds, one particular group of such compounds became known as ‘aromatic’ because they had a pleasing (?) smell (or aroma). In common chemical speech the term is still in use, although we now know that many compounds with pleasant smells, such as ketones and esters, are not structurally related to benzene. Organic chemists sometimes refer to arenes and their derivatives as having ‘aromatic character’. By this they mean that they contain a delocalised ring system. This confers on them recognisable properties, such as the ability to take part in substitution reactions, although apparently unsaturated. Put simply, it is an out-of-date classification term which some still find has some usefulness! Risk assessment Before attempting any practical work based on the advice and suggestions on this website, you must do the following. Identify any hazards, assess the risks from these hazards, and then decide appropri
