Organic Chemistry Basics

Study Notes

Study of carbon-containing compounds and their properties
Organic compounds can be found in living organisms and are synthesized in the laboratory
Focus on structure, properties, and reactions of organic molecules

Structural Organic Chemistry: study of molecular structure and bonding
Physical Organic Chemistry: study of physical properties and reactions of organic compounds
Synthetic Organic Chemistry: study of methods and techniques for synthesizing organic compounds
Mechanistic Organic Chemistry: study of reaction mechanisms and kinetics

Alkyl Groups: saturated hydrocarbon chains (e.g. methyl, ethyl)
Aromatic Groups: planar, ring-shaped molecules with alternating double bonds (e.g. benzene)
Alkenyl Groups: unsaturated hydrocarbon chains with one or more double bonds (e.g. vinyl, allyl)
Alkynyl Groups: unsaturated hydrocarbon chains with one or more triple bonds (e.g. ethynyl)
Hydroxyl Groups: -OH group (e.g. in alcohols)
Carbonyl Groups: -CO- group (e.g. in aldehydes, ketones)
Amino Groups: -NH2 group (e.g. in amines)

IUPAC Rules: systematic naming of organic compounds based on structure and functional groups
Common Names: trivial names based on historical or commercial use

Stereoisomers: molecules with the same molecular formula and bond order, but different 3D arrangement of atoms
Enantiomers: non-superimposable mirror images of a molecule
Diastereomers: stereoisomers that are not mirror images of each other

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-containing compounds, found in living organisms and synthesized in the laboratory, focusing on structure, properties, and reactions.

Structural Organic Chemistry involves the study of molecular structure and bonding.
Physical Organic Chemistry examines physical properties and reactions of organic compounds.
Synthetic Organic Chemistry focuses on methods and techniques for synthesizing organic compounds.
Mechanistic Organic Chemistry explores reaction mechanisms and kinetics.

Alkyl groups are saturated hydrocarbon chains, such as methyl and ethyl.
Aromatic groups are planar, ring-shaped molecules with alternating double bonds, like benzene.
Alkenyl groups are unsaturated hydrocarbon chains with one or more double bonds, like vinyl and allyl.
Alkynyl groups are unsaturated hydrocarbon chains with one or more triple bonds, like ethynyl.
Hydroxyl groups consist of an -OH group, found in alcohols.
Carbonyl groups feature a -CO- group, found in aldehydes and ketones.
Amino groups consist of a -NH2 group, found in amines.

IUPAC rules provide a systematic naming system for organic compounds based on structure and functional groups.
Common names are trivial names based on historical or commercial use.

Substitution reactions involve the replacement of one functional group with another.
Elimination reactions involve the removal of a functional group to form a new bond.
Addition reactions involve the addition of a functional group to form a new bond.
Rearrangement reactions involve the reorganization of atoms within a molecule.

Stereoisomers are molecules with the same molecular formula and bond order, but different 3D arrangements of atoms.
Enantiomers are non-superimposable mirror images of a molecule.
Diastereomers are stereoisomers that are not mirror images of each other.