Introduction

Introduction to Organic Chemistry

What is Organic Chemistry

• Organic chemistry is a branch of chemistry that studies the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and synthesis of organic compounds.
• The term ‘organic’ was originally used to describe compounds that came from organisms.
• Organic compounds are those that contain carbon atoms. Carbon’s ability to form strong covalent bonds with other carbon atoms leads to large complex molecules.
• Organic substances make up a significant portion of the natural world and are also integral to human activity, found in drugs, fuels, plastics, and dyes.

Hydrocarbons

• A major class of organic compounds are hydrocarbons, which are compounds composed of carbon and hydrogen.
• Hydrocarbons can be classified into two main types: aliphatic and aromatic.
• Aliphatic hydrocarbons can be further divided into three groups: alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes.
• Aromatic hydrocarbons (also known as arenes) mainly consist of ring-shaped hydrocarbons, with benzene being the most notable example.

Alkanes

• Alkanes are hydrocarbons where all the bonds between carbon atoms are single bonds.
• They are saturated hydrocarbons because they have the maximum possible amount of hydrogen for the number of carbons they contain.
• The general formula for alkanes is CnH2n+2.

Alkenes and Alkynes

• Alkenes and alkynes are unsaturated hydrocarbons, meaning they do not have the maximum possible amount of hydrogen for the number of carbons they contain.
• Alkenes have at least one carbon-carbon double bond, and their general formula is CnH2n.
• Alkynes have at least one carbon-carbon triple bond, and their general formula is CnH2n-2.

Functional Groups

• Functional groups are atoms or groups of atoms responsible for most of the chemical behaviour of a molecule.
• They are identified by specific patterns of bonding and can be used to classify organic compounds.

Isomerism

• Isomerism is the phenomenon where two or more compounds share the same molecular formula but have different structures and hence different properties.
• Structural isomerism occurs when the connectivity of the atoms changes, while stereoisomerism occurs when the same atoms connect differently in space.

Important Reactions

• Some fundamental reactions in organic chemistry include substitution, addition, elimination, and rearrangement reactions.
• Organic compounds can also undergo combustion, oxidization, and reduction reactions, among others.

Organic Synthesis

• Organic synthesis is the process of constructing organic compounds via chemical reactions.
• The strategies and methods of organic synthesis are continually developing, enabling the synthesis of complex molecules necessary for various endeavours such as medicinal chemistry and material science.

Chemical Nomenclature

• The correct naming of organic compounds is governed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).
• Understanding this systematic method of naming is essential for proper identification and communication of the structure of molecules.

Remember, organic chemistry is a vast and complex field, and this is just a brief overview. There is much more to learn and understand as you delve deeper into the subject.