Hückel's rule can be applied to inorganic compounds
Hückel's rule, originally formulated for organic hydrocarbons, can be successfully extended and applied to inorganic compounds such as boron clusters and transition metal complexes.
The retrieved literature contains multiple recent studies showing that Hückel's rule and its variations (such as 4n and 4n+2 electron counting rules) are routinely applied to understand aromaticity and electronic structure in inorganic systems like boron rings and metal complexes. There are no papers refuting the general applicability of electron counting rules to inorganics, though they highlight that extensions or considerations for sigma/pi topologies (like Möbius or multi-center bonding) are often required.
Kar S, Bairagi S, Joshi G, Jemmis ED, Himmel HJ, Ghosh S. Small Ring Molecules Comprising 3-6 Boron Atoms: An Account on Synthesis, Structure, and Orbital Engineering.. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00497
Paper [2] discusses how Hückel's (4n + 2) rule governs traditional planar organic rings as well as serving as a comparative baseline for inorganic ring systems like boranes.
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Das A, Thakuria PJ, Guha AK. Double Möbius Aromaticity in the Oxo-Platinum Complex.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6c01742
Paper [7] demonstrates that Hückel's rule and its violation (Möbius topology) apply to inorganic transition metal complexes such as oxo-platinum rings.
Sacanamboy DS, García-Argote W, Pumachagua-Huertas R, Cárdenas C, Leyva-Parra L, Ruiz L, Tiznado W. Interpreting Ring Currents from Hückel-Guided σ- and π-Electron Delocalization in Small Boron Rings.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30173566
Paper [8] illustrates that Hückel's rule remains a powerful tool for interpreting aromaticity and electron delocalization in inorganic small boron rings.
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