Ordering of Kekulé structures using nonadjacent numbers

Kekulé indices and conjugated circuits are computed for 36 Kekulé structures, together with two VB quantities associated with the corresponding factor graphs (previously called submolecules). These latter quantitites are nonadjacent numbers of Hosoya and the reciprocal of the connectivity indices of Randi?. It was found that the index of Hosoya successfully orders a set of Kekulé structures belonging to the same hydrocarbon in a parallel order as their Kekulé indices and branching indices. This substantiates the relation between VB and MO theories. A code is derived by summing contributions of nonadjacent numbers in all Kekulé stuctures of a hydrocarbon. The order of the resulting codes is found to be identical to the order of the molecular properties (resonance energies, π-energies, and eigenvalues) of the hydrocarbons.     

Heats of atomization of conjugated hydrocarbons by a new semiempirical method

Heats of atomization of a range of conjugated hydrocarbons are calculated by a semiempirical method which combines characteristic features of the MO and the VB theory. The -ground state of each hydrocarbon is represented as a linear combination of Kekulé structures where, unlike the VB theory, each Kekulé structure is a determinant containing bond Orbitals. In this approach only the Hückel parameter has to be adjusted. Experimental heats of atomization are by this method reproduced approximately equally well as by the more sophisticated SCF-MO approach. The use of this method is however much simpler since it amounts to a single diagonalization of a matrix of the order equal to the number of Kekulé structures only.     

Novel graph-theoretical approach to estimating the relative importance of individual Kekulé valence structures. I. Simple catacondensed systems

A novel graph-theoretical approach for ordering Kekulé valence structures of benzenoid hydrocarbons is presented. The approach involves the transformation of the Kekulé structures into the subspaces of their individual double bonds. The submolecules generated in this way [H. Joela, Theor. Chim. Acta 39 , 241 (1975)] are ordered according to suitable connectivity indices. The resulting orders parallel those predicted from the so called Kekulé indices [A. Graocvac, I. Gutman, M. Randi?, and N. Trinajst?, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 95 , 6267 (1973)]. A relation is thus illustrated between VB and MO theories. The method is new and allows the prediction of the relative stabilities of structures from purely combinatorial vent without resort to computer.     

π‐electron currents in polycyclic conjugated hydrocarbons: Coronene and its isomers having five and seven member rings

We have outlined novel graph theoretical model for computing π‐electron currents in π‐electron polycyclic conjugated hydrocarbons. We start with Kekulé valence structures of a polycyclic conjugated hydrocarbon and their conjugated circuits. To each 4n+2 conjugated circuits we assign counter clockwise current i and to each 4n conjugated circuit we assign clockwise current i. By adding the contributions from all conjugated circuits in a single Kekulé valence structure one obtains π‐electron current pattern for the particular Kekulé valence structure. By adding the conjugated circuit currents in all Kekulé valence structure one obtains the pattern of π‐electron currents for considered molecule. We report here π‐electron current patters for coronene and 17 its isomers, which have been recently considered by Balaban et al., obtained by replacing one or more pairs of peripheral benzene rings with five and seven member rings. Our results are compared with their reported π‐electron current density patters computed by ab initio molecular orbital (MO) computations and satisfactory parallelism is found between two so disparate approaches. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012     

Novel graph-theoretical approach to estimating the relative importance of individual Kekulé valence structures. II. Benzenoid systems having four to seven fused benzene rings: “Pseudodegenerate” states

Kekulé structures of 10 nonlinear acenes comprising 83 graphs are studied through the use of connectivities [M. Randi?, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 97 , 6609 (1975)] of their corresponding submolecules [H. Joela, Theor. Chim. Acta 39 , 241 (1975)]. In certain rare cases states were identified to have identical branching indices but different Kekulé indices [A. Graovac, I. Gutman, M. Randi?, and N. Trinajsti?, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 95 , 6267 (1973)]. Such states are termed pseudodegenerate states. A method is described to forecast and another to remedy such situations. The method emphasizes the relation between VB (resonance) and MO theories using graph-theoretical concepts.     

Coding and ordering Kekulé structures

The concept of numerical Kekulé structures is used for coding and ordering geometrical (standard) Kekulé structures of several classes of polycyclic conjugated molecules: catacondensed, pericondensed, and fully arenoid benzenoid hydrocarbons, thioarenoids, and [N]phenylenes. It is pointed out that the numerical Kekulé structures can be obtained for any class of polycyclic conjugated systems that possesses standard Kekulé structures. The reconstruction of standard Kekulé structures from the numerical ones is straightforward for catacondensed systems, but this is not so for pericondensed benzenoid hydrocarbons. In this latter case, one needs to use two codes to recover the geometrical Kekulé structures: the Wiswesser code for the benzenoid and the numerical code for its Kekulé structure. There is an additional problem with pericondensed benzenoid hydrocarbons; there appear numerical Kekulé structures that correspond to two (or more) geometrical Kekulé structures. However, this problem can also be resolved.     

Resonance energies of large conjugated hydrocarbons by a statistical method

We developed a theoretical method for studying the aromatic stability of large molecules, molecules having a dozen and more fused benzene rings. Such molecules have so far often been outside the domain of theoretical studies. Combining the statistical approach and a particular graph theoretical analysis, it is possible to derive the expressions for molecular resonance energy for molecules of any size. The basis of the method is enumeration of conjugated circuits in random Kekulé valence structures. The method has been applied to evaluation of the resonance energies of conjugated hydrocarbons having about a dozen fused benzene rings. The approach consists of (1) construction of random Kekulé valence structures, (2) enumeration of conjugated circuits within the generated random valence structures, and (3) application of standard statistical analysis to a sufficiently large sample of structures. The construction of random valence forms is nontrivial, and some problems in generating random structures are discussed. The random Kekulé valence structures allow one not only to obtain the expression for molecular resonance energies (RE ) and numerical estimates for RE , but also they provide the basis for discussion of local molecular features, such as ring characterization and Pauling bond orders.     

Stability of Conjugated Carbon Nanocones

We use interlacing techniques to prove that carbon nanocones who have a Fries Kekulé structure have closed Hückel shells, and that this result can be extended to all conjugated cones where each edge belongs to a hexagonal face and the configuration of the non-hexagonal faces are consistent with a Fries Kekulé structure. Cones with Fries Kekulé structure or substructure are topical—not only from a valence bond theoretical point of view—since a previous ab initioanalysis favored cones where the pentagons at the tip are configured as in a Fries Kekulé structure. The question of interdependence will therefore be addressed.     

Conjugated circuits and resonance energies of benzenoid hydrocarbons

A concept of conjugated circuits contained in Kekulé forms of benzenoid hydrocarbons is considered. Circuits of size (4n + 2) in which CC single and double bonds formally alternate are enumerated and serve as the basis for the characterization of a given system. Resonance energies of benzenoid systems are given by contributions of conjugated circuits of different size. The scheme permits the expression of resonance energies of different molecules in terms of selected reference compounds, such as linear acenes. The approach is illustrated on a dozen benzenoid hydrocarbons and the calculated resonance energies are on average within 0.05 eV of the values obtained by SCF MO calculations.     

Theory for a general system of increments for the properties of polycyclic hydrocarbons

A general non-empirical system of increments for the calculation of molecular properties of polycyclic, conjugated hydrocarbons is proposed. It is based on identifying the conjugation circuits in all Kekulé structures and assuming an increment from each circuit comparable to the magnitude of the property in the associated annulene. These increments are calculated by a simple free-electron theory with a Kuhn-type harmonic potential. No adjustable parameters are used to fit the property being calculated. The relation between this method and a very simplistic VB formalism is considered. The reason why the non-empirical parametrization of such crudely approximated formalism may lead to rather improved results is discussed in some detail. This novel system of increments is tested for two properties, resonance energy and magnetic ring-currents. The results obtained by this method correlate well with those of standard techniques. This system of increments for estimating local properties of molecules gave particularly gratifying results when used to predict ring-current intensities. It is hoped that this method, being equally applicable to other properties, will prove to be a valuable instrument for the rapid estimation of a wide range of properties of polycyclic, conjugated hydrocarbons. A preliminary account of this work was presented at the International Symposium on Aromaticity held at Dubrovnik, Croatia, Yugoslavia, September 3–5, 1979     

Novel graph-theoretical approach to estimating the relative importance of individual Kekulé valence structures. III. Nonalternate and nonbenzenoid hydrocarbons

Molecular connectivities of submolecules [H. Joela, Theor. Chim. Acta 39 , 241 (1975)] corresponding to Kekulé structures of nine nonalternate hydrocarbons and four nonbenzenoid hydrocarbons containing four-membered rings are correlated with their Kekulé indices. In the latter class of compounds it was observed that the corresponding submolecules contain cut vertices and bridges in contrast to submolecules of benzenoid hydrocarbons which are devoid of such bridges. It was observed, furthermore, that the branching index goes up with the number of bridges in the submolecule. The results present an application to the abstract relation [D. Cvetkovi?, I. Gutman, and N. Trinajsti?, J. Chem. Phys. 61 , 2700 (1974)] between resonance and MO theories.     

Innate degree of freedom of a graph

For a Kekulé structure we consider the smallest number of placements of double bonds such that the full Kekulé structure on the given parent graph is fully determined. These numbers for each Kekulé structure of the parent graph sum to a novel structural invariant F, called the degree of freedom of the graph. Some qualitative characteristics are identified, and it is noted that apparently it behaves differently from a couple of other invariants related to Kekulé structures.     

The electronic structure of inorganic benzenes: valence bond and ring-current descriptions

Valence bond (VB) theory and ring-current maps have been used to study the electronic structure of inorganic benzene analogues X(6)H(6) (X = C (1), Si (2)), X(6) (X = N (3), P (4)), X(3)Y(3)H(6) (X,Y = B,N (5), B,P (6), Al,N (7), Al,P (8)), and B(3)Y(3)H(3) (Y = O (9), S (10)). It is shown that the homonuclear compounds possess benzene-like character, with resonance between two Kekulé-like structures and induced diatropic ring currents. Heteronuclear compounds typically show localization of the lone pairs on the electronegative atoms; Kekulé-like structures do not contribute. Of the heteronuclear compounds, only B(3)P(3)H(6) (6) has some benzene-like features with a significant contribution of two Kekulé-like structures to its VB wave function, an appreciable resonance energy, and a discernible diatropic ring current in planar geometry. However, relaxation of 6 to the optimal nonplanar chair conformation is accompanied by the onset of localization of the ring current.     

Computing the Kekulé structure count for alternant hydrocarbons

A fast computer algorithm brings computation of the permanents of sparse matrices, specifically, molecular adjacency matrices. Examples and results are presented, along with a discussion of the relationship of the permanent to the Kekulé structure count. A simple method is presented for determining the Kekulé structure count of alternant hydrocarbons. For these hydrocarbons, the square of the Kekulé structure count is equal to the permanent of the adjacency matrix. In addition, for alternant structures the adjacency matrix for N atoms can be written in such a way that only an N/2 × N/2 matrix need be evaluated. The Kekulé structure count correlates with topological indices. The inclusion of the number of cycles improves the fit. When comparing with previous results, the variance decreases 74%. The calculated standard heat of formation correlates with the logarithm of the Kekulé structure count. This heat increments 349 kJ/mol each time the Kekulé structure count increases by one order of magnitude. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2002     

Algebraic Kekulé formulas for benzenoid hydrocarbons

By assigning two pi-electrons of CC double bonds in a Kekulé valence structure to a benzene ring if not shared by adjacent rings and one pi-electron if CC double bond is shared by two rings we arrived at numerical valence formulas for benzenoid hydrocarbons. We refer to numerical Kekulé formulas as algebraic Kekulé valence formulas to contrast them to the traditional geometrical Kekulé valences formulas. The average over all numerical Kekulé valence structures results in a single numerical structure when a benzenoid hydrocarbon molecule is considered. By ignoring numerical values the novel quantitative formula transforms into a qualitative one which can replace incorrectly used notation of pi-electron sextets to indicate aromatic benzenoids by placing inscribed circles in adjacent rings-which contradicts Clar's characterization of benzenoid hydrocarbons.     

The electron‐pair origin of antiaromaticity: Spectroscopic manifestations

It is shown that the antiaromatic character of certain conjugated cyclic hydrocarbons is due to the presence of an even number of distinct electron pairs in the system (such as, but not necessarily π electrons). In these systems, the ground state is constructed from an out‐of‐phase combination of two valence bond (VB) structures, and its equilibrium geometry is necessarily distorted along the coordinate that interchanges these structures. If a new symmetry element appears during the transition between the two structures, the ground electronic state at the symmetric point transforms as one of the nontotally symmetric irreducible representations of the point group. The conjugate excited state, formed from the in‐phase combination of the same two structures, transforms as the totally symmetric representation of the group and is strongly bound. Its structure is similar to that of the ground state at the symmetric point, and the energy separation between the two states is small compared to that of conjugated cyclic hydrocarbons having an odd number of distinct electron pairs. Motion along the “Kekulé‐type” vibrational mode on the excited‐state potential surface is very similar to motion along the reaction coordinate connecting the two distorted structures on the ground‐state surface. It is characterized by a significantly higher vibrational frequency compared to frequencies of similar modes in ground‐state molecules. These qualitative predictions are supported by quantum chemical calculations on cyclobutadiene, cyclooctatetraene, and pentalene. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 71: 133–145, 1999