In the aldol condensation lab, you examined a molecular model of the aldol product, tetraphenylcyclopentadienone, TPCP. The model showed that the phenyl groups were not in the same plane as the cyclopentadienone ring or the other phenyl groups. What is the major factor preventing a planar structure from being lowest in energy?
a. steric interactions between atoms on the phenyl rings when in the same plane
b. orbital overlap is reduced in the all‐planar structure
c. conjugation is maximized when the phenyls are perpendicular with the central ring
d. molecular size is reduced when they are out‐of‐plane
e. the computer can't calculate accurate structures
Answer: a. steric interactions between atoms on the phenyl rings when in the same plane