![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Aromatic-ring-current.png/640px-Aromatic-ring-current.png&w=640&q=50)
Aromatic ring current
Electric current observed in aromatic compounds / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An aromatic ring current is an effect observed in aromatic molecules such as benzene and naphthalene. If a magnetic field is directed perpendicular to the plane of the aromatic system, a ring current is induced in the delocalized π electrons of the aromatic ring.[1] This is a direct consequence of Ampère's law; since the electrons involved are free to circulate, rather than being localized in bonds as they would be in most non-aromatic molecules, they respond much more strongly to the magnetic field.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Aromatic-ring-current.png/640px-Aromatic-ring-current.png)
The ring current creates its own magnetic field. Outside the ring, this field is in the same direction as the externally applied magnetic field; inside the ring, the field counteracts the externally applied field. As a result, the net magnetic field outside the ring is greater than the externally applied field alone, and is less inside the ring.