Aromaticity in heterocyclic analogues of benzene: comprehensive analysis of structural aspects, electron delocalization and magnetic characteristics

The degree of aromaticity of six-membered monoheterocycles with IV–VI group heteroatoms (C6H5X, where X = SiH, GeH, N, P, As, O+, S+, Se+) was analyzed using the results of ab initio calculations at the MP2/cc-pvtz level. Values of common aromaticity indices including those based on electronic delocalization properties, structural–dynamic features and magnetic properties all indicate high aromaticity of all considered heterocycles. A decrease in aromaticity is observed with increasing atomic number of the heteroatom, except in the case of the pyrylium cation. However, not all types of indices or even different indices within the same type correlate well among each other. Ring currents have been obtained at the HF/cc-pvdz level using the ipsocentric formulation. Ring current maps indicate that in the case of cationic heterocycles the ring current persists in all molecules under consideration. The different conclusions reached depending on the type of index used are a manifestation of the fact that when not dealing with hydrocarbons, aromaticity is ill-defined. One should always express explicitly which property of the molecules is considered to establish a degree of “aromaticity”.