Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Cyclooctatetraene (1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene; COT): An unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon of molecular formula C8H8. Because of its nonplanarity (tub shape; see molecular model kit picture), cyclooctatetraene is neither aromatic or antiaromatic (i.e., it is nonaromatic).

Molecular Structure of 1,3,5,7-Cyclooctatetraene









Kekule structure
   
Bond-line structure
   
Ball and spoke model
   
Space-filling model
   
Molecular model kit