Aromatic compound

aromatic compound, any of a large class of compounds that includes benzene and compounds that resemble benzene in certain of their chemical properties. Originally applied to a small class of pleasant-smelling chemicals derived from vegetables, it now encompasses a wide diversity of compounds with no connection to the sense of smell. Common aromatic compounds other than benzene include toluene, naphthalene, and anthracene (all of which are present in coal tar).

Each of these compounds contains at least one ring that consists of six carbon atoms, each joined to at least two other carbon atoms, and each joined to adjacent carbon atoms by one single and one double bond.

The resulting hexagonal structure is characteristic of many aromatic compounds. The general rule is that aromatic molecules have 4n + 2 delocalized electrons (where n is an integral number).

Thus the number of delocalized electrons in benzene (6), naphthalene (10), and anthracene (14) agree with their aromatic character. On the other hand, the eight-membered cyclic compound with four alternating double bonds (cyclooctatetraene) is not aromatic and shows reactivity similar to alkenes.

For this reason, the bonds in the aromatic ring are less reactive than ordinary double bonds; aromatic compounds tend to undergo ionic substitution (e.g., replacement of a hydrogen bonded to the ring with some other group) rather than addition (which would involve breaking one of the resonant bonds in the ring).

Presence of the six-membered benzene ring is not essential for aromatic compounds; for example, furan, a heterocyclic compound that has a five-membered ring that includes an oxygen atom, has aromatic properties, as does pyridine, a heterocyclic compound whose six-membered ring includes a nitrogen atom.

Handbook of Biotransformations of Aromatic Compounds

Handbook of Biotransformations of Aromatic Compounds

B.L. Goodwin | 2004-11-10 00:00:00 | CRC Press | 2128 | Internal Medicine
Understanding the biotransformations of aromatic compounds and how they metabolize in animals, plants, and microbes, is central to the applications in a wide range of industries, such as the design and testing of natural and synthetic pharmaceuticals, oil refining, the development of agrochemicals, bioremediation, and for use in functional genomics and xenobiotics.

Presenting the most complete resource of its kind, the Handbook of Biotransformations of Aromatic Compounds examines 20,000 aromatic compounds researched since 1972, and assembled from all the major, relevant journals.

The author focuses his coverage on the biotransformation in animals, plants, and microbes while remaining within the scope of aromatic compounds that contain, or are fused with, at least one aromatic C6 ring. Part One lists each compound alphabetically along with the forward and reverse mechanisms of its metabolism in specific organisms.

Part Two characterizes the different types of organic reactions that have been identified - including formation and degradation, oxidations and reductions, substitution, and transfer reactions - and the enzymes associated with those reactions.

The author cites selected references for enzymes that are well documented while filling in the details for those with little research literature.

This book also contains a searchable CD-ROM of the author's previous work covering aromatic compounds researched from 1900 through 1972.

Presenting the most complete resource of its kind, this well-established author draws on his firsthand knowledge to organize a large body of information into a user-friendly and indispensable handbook for professionals, policymakers, and researchers alike.