Delocalized electron

In chemistry, a delocalized electron is an electron in a molecule, ion or solid metal that is not associated with a single atom or a covalent bond.^[1]

Benzene, with the delocalization of the electrons indicated by the circle.

Delocalized electrons are still part of molecules, even though they do not belong to a specific atom or bond. They should not be confused with free electrons that are not bound by any forces, or with solvated electrons which behave like anions in a solution.

The term delocalization can have slightly different meanings in different fields of chemistry.