Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Antiaromaticity: Special molecular instability associated with a closed loop of adjacent, parallel, overlapping p orbitals containing 4n pi electrons (n = 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.).








Cyclobutadiene
Antiaromatic
   
Benzene
Aromatic
    
Furan
Aromatic
     
Cyclooctatetraene
Nonaromatic