MO Rules for Benzene Six overlapping p orbitals must form six molecular orbitals. Three will be bonding,three antibonding. Lowest energy MO will have all bonding interactions,no nodes. As energy of MO increases,the number of nodes increases. 二> Chapter 16 8 Chapter 16 8 MO Rules for Benzene • Six overlapping p orbitals must form six molecular orbitals. • Three will be bonding, three antibonding. • Lowest energy MO will have all bonding interactions, no nodes. • As energy of MO increases, the number of nodes increases. =>