Organic Chemistry: Taxol and Carbon Compounds

• Lesson 1.1 is about organic chemistry
• Taxol is an example of a story of search and discovery in organic chemistry

Taxus Brevifolia

• In the 1960s, the National Cancer Institute tested the bark extract of the Pacific Yew
• The extract was tested against ovarian and breast cancer
• The active ingredient is Paclitaxel, also known as Taxol
• In 1994, chemists synthesized Taxol
• Needles from Taxus Baccata in France were used in the synthesis

What is Organic Chemistry?

• Organic chemistry studies compounds of carbon
• These compounds are present in foods, flavors, fragrances, medicines, toiletries, cosmetics, plastics, films, fibers, resins, paints, varnishes, glues, bodies, and living organisms
• Organic compounds mainly involve carbon and a few other elements like hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
• Many organic compounds contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, and may also contain Sulfur, halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine), and phosphorus
• Organic chemistry primarily focuses on carbon

Why Pay Special Attention to Carbon?

• Historically, organic chemistry's focus on carbon arose because organic compounds were initially derived from living organisms
• Michel Chevreul: early work with soaps
• Friedrich Wohler: synthesized urea
• August Kekule: defined organic compounds
• There are a large number of organic compounds
• Biochemicals like carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, hormones, and vitamins are organic compounds
• Organic and inorganic compounds differ in fundamental ways

Organic vs Inorganic Compounds

• Organic compounds contain carbon atoms in their structure along with other atoms
• Inorganic compounds do not essentially have carbon atoms in their structure
• Organic compounds mainly show covalent bonding
• Inorganic compounds show ionic bonding along with covalent bonding
• Organic compounds essentially have carbon and hydrogen atoms
• Inorganic compounds can have any atom except carbon and hydrogen directly bonded together
• Most organic compounds are colorless
• Most inorganic compounds are colorful
• Organic compounds do not dissolve in water due to their hydrophobicity
• Inorganic compounds can usually dissolve in water due to the presence of ionic bonds

Obtaining Organic Compounds

• Organic compounds are obtained by:
  • Isolation from nature
  • Synthesis in the laboratory
• Living organisms are natural "chemical factories"
• Chemists synthesize identical compounds or derivatives of natural compounds in the laboratory