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April 10, 2026
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"The stability of a conjugated diene arises because of an interaction between the p orbitals of the two double bonds. To review briefly, when two p atomic orbitals combine to form a π bond, two π molecular orbitals (MOs) result. One is lower in energy than the starting p orbitals and is therefore bonding; the other is higher in energy, has a node between nuclei, and is antibonding. The two p electrons occupy the low-energy, bonding orbital, resulting in formation of a stable bond between atoms."
"Dienes are named according to the rules formulated for ordinary alkenes. Conjugated dienes are more stable than dienes containing two isolated double bonds, as measured by their heats of hydrogenation. (...) The molecular-orbital picture of the π system in 1,3-butadiene shows two bonding and two antibonding orbitals. The four electrons are placed in the first two bonding levels."
"Conjugated dienes are electron rich and are attacked by electrophiles to give intermediate allylic cations on the way to 1,2- and 1,4-addition products. These reactions may be subject to kinetic control at relatively low temperatures. At relatively higher temperatures, the kinetic product ratios may change to thermodynamic product ratios, when such product formation is reversible."
"Conjugated dienes and hexatrienes are capable of (reversible) electrocyclic ring closures to cyclobutenes and 1,3-cyclohexadienes, respectively. The diene – cyclobutene system prefers thermal conrotatory and photochemical disrotatory modes. The triene – cyclohexadiene system reacts in the opposite way, proceeding through thermal disrotatory and photochemical conrotatory rearrangements. The stereochemistry of such electrocyclic reactions is governed by the Woodward-Hoffmann rules."
"Cyclic conjugated polyenes are aromatic if their p electron count is 4n + 2. This number corresponds to a completely filled set of bonding molecular orbitals. Conversely, 4n p systems have open-shell, antiaromatic structures that are unstable, are reactive, and lack aromatic ring-current effects in 1H NMR. Finally, when steric constraints impose nonplanarity, cyclic polyenes behave as nonaromatic alkenes."
Young though he was, his radiant energy produced such an impression of absolute reliability that Hedgewar made him the first sarkaryavah, or general secretary, of the RSS.
- Gopal Mukund Huddar
Largely because of the influence of communists in London, Huddar's conversion into an enthusiastic supporter of the fight against fascism was quick and smooth. The ease with which he crossed from one worldview to another betrays the fact that he had not properly understood the world he had grown in.
Huddar would have been 101 now had he been alive. But then centenaries are not celebrated only to register how old so and so would have been and when. They are usually celebrated to explore how much poorer our lives are without them. Maharashtrian public life is poorer without him. It is poorer for not having made the effort to recall an extraordinary life.
I regret I was not there to listen to Balaji Huddar's speech [...] No matter how many times you listen to him, his speeches are so delightful that you feel like listening to them again and again.
By the time he came out of Franco's prison, Huddar had relinquished many of his old ideas. He displayed a worldview completely different from that of the RSS, even though he continued to remain deferential to Hedgewar and maintained a personal relationship with him.