Serismin

Serismin is a hypothetical organic compound frequently used in chemistry education and in speculative fiction to illustrate general principles of molecular structure and reactivity. It is not a real substance with verified measurements, but rather a placeholder molecule employed in problems, demonstrations, and discussions to avoid relying on a specific real compound.

Etymology and naming: The term serismin is a coined word with no widely accepted origin in chemical nomenclature. In most educational materials, it is treated as a proper noun and not assigned a formal IUPAC name, allowing instructors to tailor its imagined features to the topic at hand.

Structure and properties: In standard depictions, serismin comprises a compact polycyclic aromatic framework with two fused rings and optional substituents that enable hypothetical redox activity. The imagined molecule is described as redox-active and capable of participating in electron-transfer steps, hydrogen shifts, or cycloaddition-like processes in teaching contexts.

Use and significance: Serismin appears in textbook problems, classroom demonstrations, and some fictional narratives as a tool to explain concepts such as aromatic stabilization, frontier orbitals, substituent effects, and reaction mechanisms. Because it is not real, any experimental data or synthesis described with serismin should be regarded as illustrative rather than authoritative.

See also: Aromaticity, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Reaction mechanism, Redox chemistry.