Organic Chemistry Basics

Study Notes

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

Description

Explore the fundamentals of organic chemistry, including its definition, branches, types of compounds, functional groups, reactions, and laboratory techniques. Test your knowledge of aliphatic and aromatic compounds, substitution and elimination reactions, and more!