Basic Concepts of Organic Chemistry

• Key features of a homologous series

  • A series of organic compounds with the same functional group and general formula, where successive members differ by the addition of a CH2 group.
  • Have similar chemical properties.
• What is meant by the term functional group?

  • Is a specific group of atoms within an organic molecule that is responsible for the characteristic of the chemical reactions of the molecule.
• • Alkanes - ane
  • Alkenes - C=C - ene
  • Alcohols - OH - ol
  • Aldehydes - CHO - al
  • Ketones - CO - one
  • Carboxylic acids - COOH - oic acid
  • Haloalkanes -> Fluoro- / Chloro- / Bromo- / Iodo-
• Two Primary types of carbon skeletons in organic compounds - the backbone of the molecule in which organic compounds are built around.

  • Aromatic skeletons contains benzene rings
  • Aliphatic Skeletons
• What are aromatic hydrocarbons?

  Hydrocarbons that contain atoms in a benzene ring - a hexagonal structure of carbon atoms with a ring of delocalised electrons.
• What are aliphatic hydrocarbons?

  Hydrocarbons that have carbon atoms joined in:

  • Branched or unbranched (straight) chains
  • or joined in non-aromatic rings - the compounds are known as alicyclic compounds.
• What are alicyclic hydrocarbons?

  Hydrocarbons that have carbon atoms joined in non-aromatic ring structures.
• What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons?

  • Saturated hydrocarbons have C-C single bonds only
  • While unsaturated hydrocarbons contain C-C double or triple bonds, or are aromatic.
• What is an alkyl group?

  Is a fragment of a molecule, a carbon chain with the general formula CnH2n+1
• The process of naming organic compounds:

  1. Identify the longest continuous carbon chain to determine the stem name.
  2. Recognise the key functional groups to determine suffix names.
  3. Numbering the carbon atoms of the longest chain based on the location of the primary functional group.
  4. Include numbers and prefixes for any side chains present.
  5. Use multipliers for multiple identical groups or side chains (di, tri, tetra)
  6. Putting together the complete name
• • Empirical formula - shows the numbers atoms of each element in the simplest whole number ratio 
  • Structural formula -  shows how the atoms are arranged by tracing the carbon backbone
  • Skeletal formula - shows the bonding framework of the carbon backbone only with any functional groups.
• What is organic is organic chemistry?

  • The study of carbon compounds.
  • An organic compound contains carbon bonded to other elements (commonly hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen)
• Structural Isomers are divided into three types:

  1. Chain isomers - includes straight and branched chains
  2. Positional isomers - The functional group is attached at different carbon atoms.
  3. Functional group isomers - The atoms can be arranged to form different functional groups (e.g aldehydes and ketones) (straight and cyclo (loses bond of multiple)
• Types of Organic Reactions

  • Addition - Two or more molecules join together to form a larger molecule.
  • Elimination - involves the removal of a small molecule from a larger one, resulting in the formation of two products.
  • Substitution - an atom or group of atoms is replaced by a different atom or group of atoms in a molecule.
  • Oxidation - A process where a species loses electrons to an oxidising agent.
  • Reduction - A process where a species gains electrons from a reducing agent.