Cyclooctatetraene (COT) possesses 8 pi-electrons. To avoid the massive destabilization of anti-aroma — Aromatic Hydrocarbons Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

With 8 pi-electrons (4n), planar COT would be anti-aromatic and highly unstable. To escape this, the molecule adopts a non-planar tub conformation, destroying orbital overlap and becoming a stable, non-aromatic polyene.