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. Chapter 16 11Chapter 16 11 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