Organic Chemistry is essentially the study of carbon compounds.
Organic molecules may thus be described as molecules containing carbon atoms
with the exception of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, diamond, graphite,
carbonates, carbides and cyanides
Carbon is the basic building block of organic compounds that recycles through the
earth's air, water, soil, and living organisms
The specially organised nature of these compounds led to the name organic
chemistry.
Some important organic preparations are:
textiles (nylon, polyester); plastics; medicines; insecticides, weed-killers, fungicides;
paints; detergents (such as soap); petrol and foodstuffs (such as margarine)
The Valency of Carbon
Carbon is in Group IV of the periodic table and as such has 4 valence electrons. It
is said to be tetravalent.
Carbon forms strong covalent bonds with itself and many other elements
These bonds may be single, double or triple bonds.
In its reactive state, the Lewis diagram for carbon is:
Thus there are always 4 covalent bonds to every carbon atom in an organic
molecule.
Carbon can bond to itself in long chains and in rings. This is called catenation.
1
,Types of formulae used in Organic Chemistry
Consider, as an example the organic molecule 2-methyl propane
Displayed structural formula: this shows all the bonds
in the molecule:
Condensed structural (excludes dashes) / semi- structural formula (includes
dashes): this shows only the bonds between carbon atoms; branches are
represented in brackets
► CH3CH(CH3)CH3 ► CH3–CH(CH3)–CH3
Molecular formula: this indicates the number of atoms of each element present in
one molecule ► C4H10
Empirical formula: this is the simplest ratio in which the elements combine ► C2H5
NOTE: You will only be expected to draw structural, condensed structural, semi-structural
and molecular formulae for compounds belonging to the following homologous series:
alkanes, alkenes, halo-alkanes, alcohols, carboxylic acids and esters (up to 8 carbon
atoms).
2
, Terms used in Organic Chemistry
Hydrocarbon: a compound containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms.
Homologous series: a series of similar compounds which have the same functional
group and have the same general formula, in which each member differs from the
previous one by a single CH2 unit.
Functional group: an atom or a group of atoms that form the centre of chemical
activity in the molecule.
A saturated compound: a compound in which all of the bonds between carbon
atoms are single bonds
An unsaturated compound: a compound in which there is at least one double
and/or triple bond between carbon atoms
Isomers: compounds having the same molecular formula but different structural
formulae.
NOTE: You may be asked to identify compounds that are isomers (up to 8 carbon atoms).
Isomers are restricted to structural isomers:
(1) chain isomers (moving the side chain or making more side chains);
Butane iso-Butane
mp: 135 0C (2-methyl propane)
bp: 0,5 0C mp: 145 0C
bp: 10 0C
(2) positional isomers (different position of the same functional group) and
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