Molaarina

Molaarina is a fictional organic compound frequently cited in chemistry education and speculative fiction to illustrate concepts of conjugation, reactivity, and materials design. There is no verified real-world substance by this name, and descriptions vary across sources; it is usually depicted as a planar, highly conjugated framework bearing functional groups that permit polymerization or metal coordination.

In typical depictions, molaarina features a pi-conjugated core that can be modified at several peripheral positions. These variations are said to influence properties such as polarity, solubility, and light absorption, making it a useful teaching model for structure–property relationships. The compound is often described as colorless and as a crystalline solid at room temperature, with reasonable thermal stability and solubility in common organic solvents. It is also portrayed as reactive toward electrophiles and prone to oxidative processes under strong conditions.

Synthesis in fictional contexts is presented as either real laboratory routes or computer-generated constructions in simulations. In some narratives, molaarina derivatives are used to illustrate polymerization methods, while in educational settings it serves as a neutral reference compound for spectroscopy exercises, such as NMR and UV–visible analysis.

Because molaarina is not a real substance, no regulatory status or authentic safety data apply; discussions typically emphasize that properties attributed to it are illustrative and should not be assumed to hold for any real compound.