Cyclooctatetraene (COT) possesses electrons. How does this molecule avoid the massive destabilizatio — Aromatic Hydrocarbons Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

With $8\pi$ electrons, a planar COT would be anti-aromatic. To escape this destabilization, the molecule adopts a non-planar tub conformation, destroying continuous $p$ -orbital overlap and becoming a non-aromatic polyene.