JEE Main 2026 · 8 Apr · Shift 2, Chemistry question 64

Aromatic as keyed (cyclic, planar, fully conjugated, $4n+2$ π electrons):

• Tropylium cation (6π).
• Phenanthrene (14π).
• Cyclobutenyl dication (2π, $n=0$).

Not aromatic.

• p-Benzoquinone: the ring is not a continuous aromatic π system.
• The cyclohexadienyl anion: one ring carbon is sp³ ($\ce{CH2}$).
• 1,2-Dihydronaphthalene: its $\ce{CH2CH2}$ breaks conjugation in the second ring. The key does not count it, although it does contain a benzene ring.

Count: 3.

(C)