2) Structures, reactions and properties of commercially important organic compounds Flashcards
What is molecular formulae?
Tells you type and number of each atom present in a molecule. E.g. C4H10 has 4 carbon atoms and 10 hydrogen atoms
What is displayed formulae?
Shows all the bonds present, so you can see how each atom joints to others
What is structural formulae?
Shows how all atoms are arranged, but is not required to show all the bonds
What is a skeletal formula?
Where hydrogen atoms are removed and carbon chains are reduced to a skeletal line, where each corner represents a carbon.
What is a 3D bond?
Dashed line means the bond is facing away from you, wedged line means the body is facing towards you, and the line represents the bond in the plane of the paper
What are alkanes?
A series of hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2
What are straight-chain alkanes?
Alkanes with a straight chain of carbon atoms
What are branched alkanes?
Alkanes with one or more carob atoms attached to a carbon in the main chain
What are cyclic alkanes?
Alkanes jointed together in a ring
How are sigma bonds formed in alkanes?
The overlap of orbitals in alkanes results in sigma bonds
Where are sigma bonds found in alkanes?
Between carbons and hydrogens and between adjacent carbons, these single bonds are free to rotate
What are the carbon orbitals involved in the bonding in alkanes called?
Sp3 hybrid orbitals
How are sp3 orbitals formed?
When the 2s orbital and three 2p orbitals in carbons outer shell rearrange themselves into four identical orbitals, each containing one unpaired electron, this is called hybridisation
What determines the boiling points of alkanes?
The longer the carbon chain of a straight chain alkane, the higher the boiling point.
Why do longer carbon chain have stronger London forces?
They have more electrons
Why is more energy required to break the London forces when there is more electrons?
Having more electrons means that the electron density fluctuate more easily, so instantaneous dipoles are stronger in size, so more energy is required to break them.
What are structural isomers?
Molecules with the same molecular formula but different structural formula.
Why do hydrocarbons e.g. alkanes have a variety of isomers?
Due to a range of possible branches on a carbon chain.
What is the same and what differs with isomers?
They have the same chemical properties, but may have different physical properties, e.g. boiling points
What are alkenes?
A series of hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n
How are sigma bonds formed in alkenes?
The overlap of orbitals in alkenes results in the formation of sigma bonds.
Where are sigma bonds found in alkenes?
Between carbon and hydrogens and one of the bonds between adjacent carbon atoms
What are the carbon orbitals involved in alkene bonding called?
Sp2 hybrid orbitals
How are sp2 orbitals formed?
When the 2s and two of 2p orbitals in the carbons outer shell rearrange themselves into three identical orbitals each containing one unpaired electron
What happens to the remaining p orbitals in alkens?
The remaining p orbitals in each carbon overlap sideways to form a pi bond.
What is the significant effects of the pi bond
1) Restricts rotation around double bond this means that groups attached to the carbons in the double bond are locked in position, which can lead to the formation of stereoisomers.
2) The high electron density influences many of the chemical reactions in alkenes. Electrophiles will be attracted to an often react with the double bond in addition reactions.
What are stereoisomers in alkenes?
Compounds with the same structural formula but their atoms have a different arrangement in space
How are stereoisomers caused in alkenes?
By the restricted rotation of the carbon-carbon double bond
How is double carbon-carbon bonds different than the carbon-carbon single bonds?
The bonds are shorter and stronger, as the attraction between the nucleus and the shared pair of electrons is greater.
Are double carbon-carbon bonds twice as strong as carbon-carbon single bonds?
No, as the p orbital overlap is less effective than overlap by hybrid orbitals
What type of electrons are in the orbitals of a benzene ring?
Delocalised electrons
Why are alkenes more reactive than alkanes?
There is a greater electron density in the carbon-carbon double bonds in alkenes so most likely to be attacked by reactants e.g. electrophiles. And the pi bond is weaker than the sigma bond in alkanes so is more likely to break
What are the most important reactions of alkanes?
Combustion and reaction with halogens
What is an unsaturated carbon?
Contains carbon-carbon double or triple bonds
What is a saturated carbon?
Contains carbon-carbon single bonds
What is combustion?
Reaction with oxygen
Give examples of hydrocarbon fuels
Petrol or diesel
How many carbons does petrol contain?
4-12 carbons
How many carbons does diesel contain?
8-21 carbons
What does complete combustion produce?
CO2 +H2O