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Molecular geometries of benzene and its 18 monosubstituted derivatives were optimized at B3LYP/6-311+G** level of theory. The changes of pi-electron delocalization of the benzene fragment were estimated by use of aromatic stabilization energies (ASE) based on different homodesmotic reaction schemes, geometry-based HOMA model, magnetism-based NICS, NICS(1), NICS(1)zz, and an electronic delocalization index, PDI, derived from the AIM theory. Apart from aromatic stabilization energies the other descriptors of aromaticity vary to a very small extent, indicating high resistance of the pi-electron structure to the substituent effect. This is somewhat analogous to a tendency of benzene systems to retain their initial pi-electron structure during the reaction course that leads to aromatic substitution.

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Fulvene derivatives, 20 mono- and 14 di-exocyclically substituted, were optimized at the B3LYP/6-311+G level of theory. Aromaticity indices include aromatic stabilization energy (ASE), Schleyer's Nucleus Independent Chemical Shift (NICS), (3)He chemical shifts, anisotropy and exaltation of magnetic susceptibility, and the Harmonic Oscillator Model of Aromaticity (HOMA), which is a geometry-based descriptor. These indices were used to estimate the extent of a cyclic pi-electron delocalization due to the substituent effect. A dramatic variation of these indices was found, indicating great sensitivity of the pi-electron structure of the ring. Except for anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, all other indices exhibited perfect equivalence.