Organic Chemistry Basics

Organic Chemistry

Definition

• Study of carbon-containing compounds and their properties
• Involves the study of structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds

Branches of Organic Chemistry

• Petroleum Chemistry: study of petroleum-based compounds and their derivatives
• Bioorganic Chemistry: study of organic compounds found in living organisms
• Organometallic Chemistry: study of compounds containing carbon-metal bonds
• Physical Organic Chemistry: study of the physical properties and reactions of organic compounds

Types of Organic Compounds

• Aliphatic Compounds: open-chain compounds, e.g., alkanes, alkenes, alkynes
• Aromatic Compounds: ring-shaped compounds, e.g., benzene, toluene
• Heterocyclic Compounds: ring-shaped compounds containing atoms other than carbon, e.g., furan, pyridine
• Functional Groups: specific groups of atoms that determine the properties of a compound, e.g., hydroxyl (-OH), carboxyl (-COOH)

Functional Groups and Their Properties

• Hydrocarbons: contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms, e.g., methane, ethane
  • Saturated: single bonds between carbon atoms, e.g., ethane
  • Unsaturated: multiple bonds between carbon atoms, e.g., ethene
• Alkyl Halides: contain a halogen atom, e.g., chloromethane
  • Reactivity: alkyl halides are highly reactive due to the electronegativity of the halogen atom
• Aldehydes and Ketones: contain a carbonyl group, e.g., formaldehyde, acetone
  • Reactivity: aldehydes and ketones are highly reactive due to the polarity of the carbonyl group
• Carboxylic Acids: contain a carboxyl group, e.g., acetic acid
  • Reactivity: carboxylic acids are weak acids, but react with bases to form salts

Reactions in Organic Chemistry

• Substitution Reactions: replacement of a functional group with another, e.g., nucleophilic substitution
• Elimination Reactions: removal of a functional group, e.g., beta-elimination
• Addition Reactions: addition of a functional group to a molecule, e.g., electrophilic addition
• Rearrangement Reactions: rearrangement of atoms within a molecule, e.g., alkyl shift

Laboratory Techniques

• Chromatography: separation of mixtures based on differences in properties, e.g., gas chromatography, thin-layer chromatography
• Spectroscopy: analysis of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation, e.g., infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
• Crystallization: purification of a compound by crystallization from a solution