azulene
Quick Summary
Azulene is a chemical compound with a distinctive blue color. It can refer to a specific liquid hydrocarbon (C15H18) found in some essential oils and lignite tar, or more broadly to related blue, violet, or green hydrocarbons. A synthetic form, cyclo-penta-cyclo-heptene (C10H8), is also known and is chemically more active than naphthalene.1
Azulene is classified as a nonbenzenoid aromatic compound. Despite having the same number of pi electrons (10) as naphthalene, which is also aromatic, azulene exhibits aromatic properties. This aromaticity is linked to its cyclic conjugated system of double bonds.2
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
