Abstract
A simple method is described for the calculation of resonance energies (RE) of linear acenes based on their number of Kekulé structures. The values obtained for the first five linear acenes are used to graph–theoretically calculate RES of a wide variety of benzenoid hydrocarbons. Excellent linear relationships are found between RES and each of A‐II, graph‐theoretical (GT), Hess–Schaad (HS), and Dewar resonance energies (SCF). These relations apply to 42 hydrocarbons and lead to the following equations: A‐II = 0.084RE + 0.080 (0.9999); GT = 0.072RE + 0. 135 (0.9832); HS = 0. 106RE + 0. 169 (0.9889); and SCF = 0.316RE + 0. 166 (0.9899). Correlation coefficients are shown in parentheses. A linear relation also exists between RES and the square roots of the wavelengths of the UV spectra of hydrocarbons of the linear acenes and phene series. Least‐squares analysis of the data leads to the following equation: RE= 0.412(λ)^½^ −15.479, with a correlation coefficient equal to 0.9903, in which λ is the wavelength of the β band of the UV spectra of these hydrocarbons. The method predicts no resonance energies for both open chain polyenes and the radialenes.