Which of the following structures would be considered aromatic?

• A. A planar, cyclic molecule with $4$ π electrons
• B. A linear molecule with alternating double bonds
• C. A planar, cyclic molecule with $6$ π electrons, such as benzene ($C_6{H}_6$)
• D. A non-planar, cyclic molecule with $8$ π electrons

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the criteria for aromaticity, which require a molecule to be cyclic, planar, fully conjugated (p orbitals overlapping continuously), and to follow Hückel's rule for π electrons.
2. Hückel's rule states that a molecule is aromatic if it has \$4n + 2\( π electrons, where \)n$ is a non-negative integer (0, 1, 2, ...).
3. Evaluate each option against these criteria: check if the molecule is cyclic and planar, and count the number of π electrons to see if it fits \$4n + 2$.
4. For example, a planar, cyclic molecule with 6 π electrons fits Hückel's rule with \(n=1\) because \$4(1) + 2 = 6$, indicating aromaticity.
5. Non-planar or molecules with 4n π electrons (like 4 or 8) do not satisfy aromaticity; 4n π electrons often correspond to antiaromatic or non-aromatic compounds.