MolDraw › Templates › Mechanisms › Resonance structures
MechanismsPremium
Resonance structures template
Premium template. Preview and edit it free in MolDraw; downloading and exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro.
Benzene, carboxylate, enolate, allyl cation, nitro group and amide: each pair of resonance forms with its arrows.
Mechanism step by step
Curly arrows move π electrons and lone pairs; the atoms stay where they are
- Carboxylate – The charge is shared by both oxygens
- Enolate – Negative charge on carbon or oxygen
- Allyl cation – The positive charge sits on either end
- Nitro group – Both N–O bonds are the same length
- Amide – The C–N bond has double-bond character
Key points
- Resonance forms are not in equilibrium: the real structure is one hybrid of them.
- Only electrons move; σ bonds and atom positions never change.
- Spreading charge over more atoms (delocalisation) stabilises a species.
- The most important form has full octets, the fewest charges and negative charge on the most electronegative atom.
Drawn with 50 atoms, 18 arrows, 7 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.
Sources
How to use this template
- Press Edit in MolDraw. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
- Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need.
- Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page.
- Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Resonance structures template free?
You can preview the Resonance structures template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates.
Can I edit the Resonance structures template?
Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.
Is the chemistry checked?
Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.
What is a curly-arrow mechanism template?
A ready-made drawing of a reaction mechanism in which curved arrows show where electron pairs move in each step. You can open it in MolDraw, change the substrate and reuse it.