Organic Chemistry Basics

Organic Chemistry

Definition Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-containing compounds and their properties, reactions, and synthesis.

Characteristics of Organic Compounds

• Typically contain carbon and hydrogen atoms, with or without oxygen, nitrogen, and other elements
• Have covalent bonds between atoms
• Can be found naturally or synthesized in a laboratory
• Exhibits isomerism (multiple forms with same molecular formula)

Types of Organic Compounds

• Hydrocarbons: contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms
  • Saturated (single bonds): alkanes (e.g., methane, ethane)
  • Unsaturated (double or triple bonds): alkenes (e.g., ethene) and alkynes (e.g., ethyne)
• Functional Groups: specific groups of atoms that determine chemical properties
  • Alcohols (OH): e.g., methanol, ethanol
  • Ethers (R-O-R): e.g., diethyl ether
  • Carboxylic Acids (COOH): e.g., acetic acid

Organic Reactions

• Substitution: replacement of one functional group with another
• Elimination: removal of a functional group, resulting in a new bond
• Addition: formation of a new bond between two molecules
• Oxidation-Reduction (Redox): transfer of electrons between molecules

Synthesis and Analysis

• Synthesis: creation of a new compound from simpler molecules
• Chromatography: separation and identification of mixture components
• Spectroscopy: analysis of molecular structure using various techniques (e.g., IR, NMR)

Organic Chemistry

Definition and Characteristics

• Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-containing compounds and their properties, reactions, and synthesis.
• Organic compounds typically contain carbon and hydrogen atoms, with or without oxygen, nitrogen, and other elements.
• They have covalent bonds between atoms.
• They can be found naturally or synthesized in a laboratory.
• Organic compounds exhibit isomerism, meaning they have multiple forms with the same molecular formula.

Types of Organic Compounds

Hydrocarbons

• Hydrocarbons contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms.
• Saturated hydrocarbons (single bonds) are known as alkanes, examples include methane and ethane.
• Unsaturated hydrocarbons (double or triple bonds) are further divided into alkenes (e.g., ethene) and alkynes (e.g., ethyne).

Functional Groups

• Functional groups are specific groups of atoms that determine chemical properties.
• Alcohols have a hydroxyl (OH) group, examples include methanol and ethanol.
• Ethers have a general structure of R-O-R, an example is diethyl ether.
• Carboxylic acids have a carboxyl (COOH) group, an example is acetic acid.

Organic Reactions

• Substitution reactions involve the replacement of one functional group with another.
• Elimination reactions involve the removal of a functional group, resulting in a new bond.
• Addition reactions involve the formation of a new bond between two molecules.
• Oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions involve the transfer of electrons between molecules.

Synthesis and Analysis

• Synthesis involves the creation of a new compound from simpler molecules.
• Chromatography is a technique used to separate and identify the components of a mixture.
• Spectroscopy is a technique used to analyze the molecular structure of a compound, examples include IR and NMR spectroscopy.

Learn about the characteristics and types of organic compounds, including their properties, reactions, and synthesis.