Organic Chemistry Basics

Organic Chemistry is the study of carbon-containing compounds, including hydrocarbons and their derivatives.
Carbon has four valence electrons, enabling it to form covalent bonds with other elements. These bonds can result in different structures like chains, branches and rings.
Hydrocarbons are organic compounds composed of hydrogen and carbon atoms. They’re mainly divided into alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes based on their bonding.
Isomers are compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural formulas.

Alkanes

Alkanes have only single bonds between the carbon atoms and follow the general formula CnH2n+2.
These are saturated compounds as they contain as many hydrogen atoms as possible.
They exhibit chain isomerism where the carbon atoms can be rearranged in different ways.

Alkenes have one or more carbon-carbon double bonds and follow the general formula CnH2n.
Alkynes have one or more carbon-carbon triple bonds and follow the general formula CnH2n-2.
Both alkenes and alkynes are unsaturated hydrocarbons as they contain fewer hydrogen atoms than alkanes.
They engage in addition reactions where the double or triple bond breaks to allow new elements to bond with the carbon atoms.

Combustion is a reaction of hydrocarbons with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water. Incomplete combustion results in carbon (soot) or carbon monoxide.
Substitution reactions are characteristic for alkanes where one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced with another atom or group.
Addition reactions are characteristic for alkenes and alkynes, where atoms are added to the carbon-carbon double or triple bonds.
Esterification is a reaction between carboxylic acids and alcohols to form an ester and water.

Functional groups determine the reactivity and polarity of organic compounds.
Examples of functional groups are alcohol (-OH), carboxylic acid (-COOH), aldehyde (-CHO), ketone (-CO-), halide (-X), and amines (-NH2).
The presence of functional groups allows for a wide range of chemical reactions.

Polymers are large molecules made up of repeating subunits called monomers.
Addition polymers are formed from alkenes through an addition reaction.
Condensation polymers are formed when two different monomers combine, releasing a small molecule like water.

Crude oil is a mixture of various hydrocarbons. It’s processed through a method called fractional distillation to produce useful products like petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and gases.
Fossil fuels release carbon dioxide when burnt, contributing to global warming, making the search for renewable energy sources vital.