Roles of kinetic and potential energies in conjugation II. Aniline and nitrobenzene

Abstract An analysis of the energy components of the conjugation energy between the substituent and the phenyl group in aniline and nitrobenzene showed that there are two types of conjugation: the conjugation energy in aniline, with an electron‐donating substituent, is given by the decrease in the kinetic energy of elctrons, whereas that in nitrobenzene, with an electron‐withdrawing substituent, is caused by the decrease in the potential energy. Physical interpretations are given of the arrows in the organic electron theory of these compounds.