1. Introduction to organic chemistry Flashcards
Living things are made of
atoms covalently bonded to form molecules of organic compounds.
The great variety of organic compounds is possible because
every carbon atom can bond with other carbon atoms to form chains and rings
These chains and rings are often found bonded to
atoms of other elements, such as hydrogen, oxygen
and nitrogen
not all carbon compounds are classified as organic compounds.
examples of inorganic compounds are
the oxides of carbon and compounds containing carbonate and hydrogencarbonate ions
The substances that form the basis of all living things are
organic compounds.
Carbon atoms tend to form the ‘backbone’ of organic molecules – from the proteins in muscles and enzymes to the DNA that determines our characteristics
Hydrocarbons are
compounds of carbon and hydrogen only
Organic compounds comprise the
largest group of compounds on earth
Many things around you have carbon as the most abundant atom in them, including
food, clothes, paper, coal, fuel, diamonds … the list is endless
A long time ago, clothes were made from cotton only, which is made up of carbon atoms.
The second industrial revolution brought about
the process of synthesis, when people realized that they can make new products from existing materials and turn the material into something completely new through a range of reactions that usually mimic something that already exists naturally.
Polymers are such an example.
To a large extent, they have replaced cotton through reactions that produce synthetic materials such as polyester, polyamides, etc.
These play an important role in the clothing industry, and in many other industrial and home products
A macromolecule is a
molecule that consists of a large number of atoms.
The most common macromolecules in biochemistry are
biopolymers (nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids)
large non-polymeric molecules (such as lipids and macrocycles) and
carbohydrates (polymers of simple sugars.)
A polymer is a
large molecule composed of smaller monomer units that are covalently bonded to each other in a repeating pattern
A monomer is a
small organic molecule that can be covalently bonded to each other in a repeating pattern.
Polymerisation is a
chemical reaction in which monomer molecules join to form a polymer
Condensation polymerisation is when
molecules of two monomers with different functional
groups undergo condensation reactions with the loss of small molecules, usually water
A carboxylic acid monomer and an alcohol monomer can join in
an ester linkage.
They are all joined by ester linkages, the polymer chain is a polyester
We can represent organic molecules by
a variety of different types of formula
which type of formula gives us the least detail
The empirical formula
empirical formula tells us what?
the simplest ratio of the different types of atoms present in the molecule.
For example, an organic compound called propene has the empirical formula CH2.
This tells us that it has twice as many hydrogen atoms as carbon atoms in its molecules.
We can calculate empirical formulae from
experimental data on the mass of each element, and hence the number of moles of each element, in a sample of a compound
Calculate the empirical formula of a compound of carbon, hydrogen and iodine that contains 8.45% carbon, 2.11% hydrogen and 89.44% iodine by mass.
(Ar values: C = 12.0, H = 1.0, 1= 127.0).
CH3I (iodine)
molecular formula shows us
the actual numbers of each type of atom in a molecule.
(the numbers and types of atom present in a molecule)
The functional group is shown separately from the hydrocarbon chain — for example, C2H5OH rather than C2H6O.
To find the molecular formula we need to know
the relative molecular mass of the compound.
The relative molecular mass of propene is 42.
We know that its empirical formula is CH2; this CH2 group of atoms has a relative mass of 14, as the relative atomic mass of C = 12 and H = 1.
By dividing the relative molecular mass by the relative mass of the empirical formula (42/14 = 3), we see that there must be (3 × CH2 ) atoms in a propene molecule. So its molecular formula is C3 H6.
structural formula shows
the arrangement of the atoms in a molecule
A displayed formula shows
the correct positioning of the atoms and the bonds between them.
A simplified version of the displayed formula is called the
skeletal formula.
It has all the symbols for carbon and hydrogen atoms removed, as well as the carbon to hydrogen bonds.
The carbon to carbon bonds are left in place.
list of homologous series
Alkanes
Alkenes
Alkynes
Alcohols
Haloalkanes (Alkylhalides)
Aldehydes
Ketones
Carboxylic acids
Esters
alkane General formula
CnH2n+2
alkane functional group
C-C
Alkyl
Alkane Example
Ethane
propane
name ending suffix of alkane
-ane
Alkenes general formula
CnH2n
Alkenes functional group
C=C
Alkenyl
Alkenes Example
propene
ethene
name ending suffix of Alkenes
-ene
Alkynes general formula
CnH2n-2
alkynes functional group
alkynyl
C≡C
Alkynes suffix name ending
-yne
eg-propyne
Alcohols general formula
CnH2n+1OH
Alcohols functional group
-OH (hydroxyl group)
Alcohols name ending suffix
-ol
Haloalkanes (Alkylhalides) general formula
Cn H2n+1X X = F, CI, Br or I
Haloalkanes (Alkylhalides) suffix ending
-ane
Haloalkanes (Alkylhalides) functional group
c-c
Aldehydes general formula
CnH2nO
Aldehydes functional group
CHO