Organic Chemistry Overview

Organic Chemistry Study Notes

• Organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds, including those with carbon and hydrogen.
• Carbon dioxide is not considered an organic compound.
• Over 16 million carbon-containing compounds are known.
• The strength of C-C and C-H bonds makes carbon compounds stable.
• Carbon's versatility and stability lead to a vast array of organic compounds with diverse properties.
• Carbon can form chains and rings.

Terms to Know

• Hydrocarbon: Compound containing only carbon and hydrogen.
• Alkane: Saturated hydrocarbon (only single bonds).
• Alkene: Unsaturated hydrocarbon with at least one carbon-carbon double bond.
• Alkyne: Unsaturated hydrocarbon with at least one carbon-carbon triple bond.
• Saturated: Contains the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms.
• Unsaturated: Contains fewer than the maximum number of hydrogen atoms (at least one multiple bond).
• Petrochemicals: Simple hydrocarbons derived from petroleum.
• Functional Groups: Atom or group of atoms that largely determine the chemical properties of an organic molecule.
• Polymers: Large molecules formed from repeating smaller units (monomers).
• Isomers: Compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures.

Skills to Master

• Differentiate between alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes.
• Differentiate between saturated and unsaturated compounds.

Formulae

• Alkanes: CnH2n+2
• Alkenes: CnH2n
• Alkynes: CnH2n-2

Additional Information

• Open-chain compounds: Terminal carbon atoms are not joined. Examples include propane, ethane, etc.
• Closed-chain/Cyclic compounds: Terminal carbons are joined to form rings. Examples include cyclobutane, benzene, etc.
• Homocyclic compounds: The ring-forming atoms are only carbon. Also known as carbocyclic compounds
• Alicyclic compounds: Closed-chain organic compounds with properties similar to open-chain aliphatic compounds
• Aromatic compounds: Benzene and similar cyclic compounds behaving chemically like benzene. They obey Huckel's rule.
• Heterocyclic compounds: Contain at least one heteroatom (non-carbon atom) in the ring. Examples include pyridine and furan.
• Huckel's rule: Describes the condition for a cyclic and planar molecule to be aromatic. It relates delocalized π electrons to integer n with 4n+2 π electrons.

Molecular, Empirical, and Other Formulae

• Molecular formula: Shows the actual number of each atom in a molecule (e.g., C6H12O6).
• Empirical formula: Shows simplest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound (e.g., CH2O).
• Structural formula: Displays how atoms are bonded in a molecule.
• Condensed structural formula: A shorthand representation of a structural formula (e.g., CH3CH2CH3 for propane).
• Bond-line formula: A simplified structural formula where carbon atoms are represented by intersections, and hydrogen atoms aren't explicitly shown.
• Spatial formula: Shows the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule.

Functional Groups

• A functional group is an atom or group of atoms in a molecule that determines its chemical properties. Specific examples and diagrams of functional groups are provided.

Homologous Series

• A homologous series is a series of organic. compounds with the same general formula and similar chemical properties.
• Members differ from each other by -CH2 units, resulting in gradual changes in their physical properties (e.g., boiling point).

Petrochemicals

• Petrochemicals are small hydrocarbons isolated from crude oil.

Polymers

• Polymers are large molecules made up of repeating units.
• Examples include polyethylene, nylon, and PVC.

Natural Polymers

• Natural polymers include proteins, RNA, DNA, and Polysaccharides.

Pharmaceutical Examples

• Many pharmaceuticals are complex organic molecules.

Isomers

• Isomers are compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures (arrangements of atoms).
• Different isomers have different physical properties.