Organic Chemistry - T1

• The number of isomers increases with the length of the carbon chain.
• Organic chemistry is the study of compounds containing carbon
• Carbon is special because:

  • More than 99% of known chemical compounds contain carbon
  • Carbon can share four valence electrons and form four strong covalent bonds, creating a stable tetrahedral geometry
  • Carbon can create a wide range of compounds, bonding readily with itself to form chains (polymerism) and producing compounds with the same number of atoms but different structures (isomerism)
• There are three generally accepted sources of organic compounds:

  • Carbonized organic matter (e.g., fossil fuels)
  • Living organisms (e.g., essential oil from plants)
  • Invention/human ingenuity (e.g., drug discovery)
• Organic chemistry is the study of compounds containing carbon, both naturally occurring and synthetic compounds

  • Other elements may also be present, with any atom that is not carbon or hydrogen being called a heteroatom (e.g., N, O, S, P, and the halogens)
• Not all compounds with carbons are organic. Consider the following compounds:

  • Carbonate (CO3^2-)
  • Cyanide (CN-)
  • Bicarbonate (HCO3-)
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2)
  • Carbon monoxide (CO)
  • Organic compounds are either derived from living or once-living matter, or they can be synthesized
• • Examples of organic compounds are derived from living or once-living matter, while inorganic compounds are minerals and ores
• Organic vs. Inorganic:

  • Organic compounds are nature-based on carbon, while inorganic compounds are not based on carbon (sometimes contain carbon but not C-H bonds)
  • Organic compounds usually have covalent bonding, while inorganic compounds often have ionic bonding
  • Intermolecular forces in organic compounds are generally weak, while inorganic compounds have quite strong forces
  • Organic compounds have low boiling and melting points, while inorganic compounds have high boiling and melting points
  • Organic compounds are often flammable, while inorganic compounds are usually non-flammable
• Theory of Vitalism:

  • In the 1800s, organic compounds were believed to originate from living organisms, and only living things could synthesize organic compounds through the intervention of a vital force
• Discovery by Friedrich Wöhler:

  • In 1828, Friedrich Wöhler discovered that urea, an organic compound, could be made by heating the inorganic compound ammonium cyanate
• In the 20th century, organic chemistry branched into sub-disciplines such as polymer chemistry, pharmacology, bioengineering, petrochemistry, and numerous others, leading to the discovery or synthesis of millions of new substances