Delocalization Energy Is the Additional Stability Delocalized Electrons Give to a Compound

6 DELOCALIZATION ENERGY IS THE ADDITIONAL STABILITY DELOCALIZED ELECTRONS GIVE TO A COMPOUND [Pg.341]

Delocalized electrons stabilize a compound. The extra stability a compound gains from having delocalized electrons is called the delocalization energy. Electron delocalization is also called resonance, so delocalization energy is also called resonance energy. Because delocalized electrons increase the stability of a compound, we can conclude that a resonance hybrid is more stable than any of its resonance contributors is predicted to be. [Pg.341]

The delocalization energy associated with a compound that has delocalized electrons depends on the number and the predicted stability of the resonance contributors. [Pg.341]

The greater the number of relatively stable resonance contributors, the greater is the delocalization energy. [Pg.341]

For example, the delocalization energy of a carboxylate ion with two relatively stable resonance contributors is significantly greater than the delocalization energy of a carboxylic acid with only one relatively stable resonance contributor. [Pg.341]