Organic Flashcards
What is the empirical formula?
The simplest whole number ratio of atoms of each element in a compound
What is molecular formula?
The true number of atoms of each element in a compound
What is the general formula?
All members of a homologous organic series follow the general formula
What is the structural formula?
Shows the structural arrangement of atoms within a molecule
What is the displayed formula?
Shows every atom and every bond in an organic compound
What is the skeletal formula?
Shows only the bonds in a compound and any non-carbon atoms (hydrogen is assumed to be bonded to carbon unless otherwise stated)
What is a homologous series?
Series of organic compounds which contain the same functional group
What do reaction mechanisms show?
The movement of electrons within a reaction
What are isomers?
Molecules with the same molecular formula but with a different arrangement of atoms within the molecule
What are structural isomers?
Have the same molecular form but different structural arrangement of the atoms, the chain of carbon can be straight or have branches
What are positional isomers?
Same molecular formula and functional group but the functional group is in a different position on the carbon chain
What are functional group isomers?
Same molecular formula but have different functional groups
What are stereoisomers?
Same molecular formula but different spatial arrangement
What type of isomerism is E-Z?
stereoisomerism
Why does E-Z isomerism arise?
Limited rotation around the carbon-carbon double bond
What is the E isomer in E-Z isomerism?
groups are apart
What is the Z isomer in E-Z isomerism?
groups are together
What is the Cahn-Inglod-Prelog (CIP) priority rules when it comes to E-Z isomerism?
Higher priority is given to the adjacent atom with the highest Ar and if they’re the same keep going down the chain till atom with higher Ar is reached
What is an ether functional group?
C-O-C
What is the general formula of alkanes?
Cn H2n+2
Are alkanes saturated or unsaturated?
Saturated hydrocarbons (only contain single bonds)
What is petroleum (crude oil)?
A mixture consisting mainly of alkane hydrocarbons
How can petroleum (crude oil) be separated?
Fractional distilliation
Why do different chain length alkanes have different boiling points?
The higher the Mr the greater the VDW and the higher the boiling point so the longer the carbon chain the higher the boiling point
How does fractional distillation of petroleum (crude oil) work?
The mixture is heated and vaporised and then fed into a fractionating column
The vapour rises and as it does it cools and condenses
It is then separated into its different fractions which can then be pumped away for their different uses
What is collected at the top of a crude oil fractionating column?
Short carbon chains
What is the order of crude oil fractions from top to bottom?
Refinery gases
Gasoline (petrol)
Naphtha
Kerosene
Diesel (gas oil)
Lubricating oil (mineral oil)
Fuel oil
Bitumen
How are refinery gases used?
Camping gas
How is gasoline used?
Petrol in cars
How is kerosene used?
jet fuel
How is diesel used?
Diesel fuel, central heating
How is fuel oil used?
Ships, power stations
How is Bitumen used?
Road surfacing
How is naphtha used?
Processed to make petrochemicals
What length of alkane carbon chains are more in demand?
Smaller chain alkanes
What type of reaction is cracking?
Decomposition
What is cracking?
The breaking down of longer carbon chain molecules into smaller more useful molecules
(breaking C-C bonds)
What are the two types of cracking?
Thermal and Catalytic
What does thermal cracking produce?
alkanes and alkenes
What does catalytic cracking produce?
Aromatic compounds and motor fuels
What are the conditions used in thermal cracking?
High temp - 1000°C
High pressure - 70 atm
What are the conditions used in catalytic cracking?
Zeolite catalyst
High temp - 450°C
Slight pressure
Why does using a zeolite catalyst in catalytic cracking cut costs?
Means the reaction can be done at low pressure and a lower temperature (also speeds up reaction)
Why do alkanes make good fuels?
Release a lot of energy when burned
What do we do with fuels?
Combust them
What are the products of complete combustion of alkanes?
CO2 and H2O
What are the products of incomplete combustion of alkanes?
CO and H2O
What are the products of incomplete combustion alkanes (when there’s even less O2)?
C(s) and H2O
What is the downside to burning alkanes?
Produces lots of pollutants
Whats the problem with carbon monoxide?
Poisonous as as it binds to the same sites on haemoglobin molecules as oxygen does so prevents oxygen being carried around the body
How is carbon monoxide removed from exhaust gases?
Using a catalytic converter
Whats the problem with burning fossil fuels?
Produces CO2 which is a greenhouse gas
(also non-renewable)
Whats the problem with greenhouse gases?
Really good at absorbing infrared radiation which means it isn’t all reflected as it ought to be which leads to the greenhouse effect and global warming
How are oxides of nitrogen produced in a car engine?
The high pressure and temperature causes the nitrogen and oxygen in the air to react together
What are carbon particulates?
Small fragments of unburned hydrocarbon that can cause serious respiratory problems
What is the problem when hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides react in the presence of sunlight?
Forms ground-level ozone
Whats the problem with ground-level ozone?
Major component of smog, irritates peoples eyes and aggravates respiratory problems
What is the process of removing sulphur dioxide called?
Flue - gas desulphurisation
Whats the problem with SO2?
Acid rain which ruins habitats, destroys trees and vegetation, kills fish in lakes, corrodes buildings
What catalyst is used in a catalytic converter?
Rhodium (or platinum)
What does the combustion of hydrocarbons containing sulfur lead to?
sulfur dioxide
What are the there steps of free-radical substitution?
Initiation
Propagation
Termination
What is produced in free radical substitutions?
Haloalkanes from alkanes and halogens
What is required for free radical substitution?
UV light
What is the initiation step of free radical substitution?
The break down of the halogen eg
Cl2 —> 2Cl* UV light
What is the propagation step? (Cl* and CH4 as example)
Hydrogen is replaced and the Cl* is reformed as a catalyst
Cl* + CH4 —> *CH3 + HCl
CH3 + Cl2 —> CH3Cl + Cl
What is the termination step in free radical substitution?
Two radicals join to end the chain reaction and form a stable product
eg *CH3 + *CH3 —> C2H6
What is the problem with CFC’s?
UV light from the sun causes CFC’s to break creating free radicals which then react with ozone in the atmosphere and deplete it
Which bond is stronger C-F or C-Cl?
C-F greater electronegative difference
Show how a chlorine radical depletes ozone?
Cl* + O3 —> O2 + ClO*
ClO* + O3 —> 2O2 + Cl*
What does the ozone layer do?
Protects us from UV radiation which can damage the skin and cause cancer (absorbs it)
Why were CFC’s banned?
As a result of research by different groups in the scientific community how provided evidence for legislation to ban the use of CFC’s as solvent and refrigerants
What do we now use instead of CFC’s?
Chemists have developed alternative chlorine free compounds
Why do halegenoalkanes contain polar bonds?
Halogens are more electronegative than carbon atoms so electron density is drawn towards the halogen
What is a nucleophile?
Species that contains a lone electron pair that is attracted to δ+ regions of molecules
Examples of nucleophiles
: C(-) ≡ N
:NH3
:OH
What mechanism means you get an alcohol from a halogenolalkane?
nucleophilic substitution
What mechanism means you get an amine from a halogenoalkane?
nucleophilic substitution
How does the carbon-halogen bond enthalpy influence the rate of reaction?
The greater the Mr of the halogen, the lower the bond enthalpy meaning it is broken more easily ∴ the rate is quicker
Why cant you have nucleophilic substitution with tertiary halogenoalkanes?
The nucleophile can only approach the carbon from the side with the halogen (as other side too crowded) but the halogen has a δ- charge so repels the nucleophile
What happens in nucleophilic substitution?
The nucleophile attacks the δ+ carbon bonded to the halogen (approached from opposite side to halogen) and then the carbon-halogen shared pair of electron are both given to the halogen to produce a halide
What is the role of the nucleophile in a nucleophilic substitution?
electron donor
What are the conditions needed for elimination?
High temperature
Ethanol (alcoholic) solvent
heat under reflux
What is the role of the nucleophile in elimination?
Proton acceptor (acts as a base)
How do you produce an alkene from a halogenoalkane?
elimination
What happens in an elimination mechanism?
Nucleophile attacks a hydrogen on the adjacent carbon to the halogen
That hydrogen-carbon bond then gives its electrons to the carbon-carbon bond (when nucleophile is :OH this makes a water molecule)
Then the electrons in the carbon-halogen bond gives both electrons to the halogen to make a halide
(like a waterfall affect)
Why does the proportion of water to ethanol matter when you have nucleophiles and halogenoalkanes?
water encourages substitution
ethanol encourages elimination
How do you favour nucleophilic substitution over elimination?
lower temp.
more dilute solutions
more water in the solvent mixture
How do you favour elimination over nucleophilic substitution?
higher temp.
conc. solutions
pure ethanol as solvent
What type of halogenoalkanes undergo elimination by a nucleophile under the right conditions? (primary, secondary or tertiary)
secondary and tertiary
What are alkenes?
Unsaturated hydrocabons
Why are alkenes unsaturated?
Contain a double covalent bond
Why is a carbon-carbon double bond susceptible to an attack from electrophiles?
Area of high electron density
How can you test for alkenes?
Add it to bromine water, turns solution from orange to colourless
What type of isomerism is common in alkenes?
E-Z stereoisomerism (restricted rotation around C=C)
What is an electrophile?
Electron pair acceptor (attracted to areas of high electron density)
Examples of electrophiles
HBr
Br2
H2SO4
What mechanism reaction produces alcohols and halogenoalkanes from alkenes?
electrophilic addition
What is electrophilic addition?
Electrophile attacks carbon double bond and forms a carbocation (always forms the most stable)
Then the nucleophile which formed from the electrophile bond breaking attacks the positively charged carbocation
What is a carbocation?
Carbon atom with only 3 bonds (has a positive charge)
What is the major product in electrophilic addition?
The product formed via the most stable carbocation
What does a tertiary carbocation mean?
The three bonds on the carbocation are all carbon-carbon single bonds
Why are tertiary carbocations more stable than secondary and primary ones?
Has more alkyl groups so greater inductive effect as each alkyl group pushes electrons onto the carbocation so spreads electrons more evenly round the molecule making it more stable
How do alkenes react with cold conc. sulfuric acid and what is the product called?
electrophilic addition
alkyl hydrogen sulfates
What happens when you react alkyl hydrogen sulfates with water and what are the conditions?
Make alcohols (and H2SO4)
Warm the reaction mixture
What are addition polymers produced from?
Alkenes when the double bond is broken to form a repeating unit
What is an addition polymer?
Long chain molecule made from lots of monomers joined together
How do you name addition polymers?
Poly (alkene made from)
What polymer do you get in high temperature and pressure?
Branched chain polymers
What are the properties of branched chain polymers?
Weaker and more flexible (weak VDW)
What polymer do you get in low temperature and pressure?
Straight chain polymers
What are the properties of straight chain polymers?
Strong and rigid (strong VDW)
Why are polymers unreactive?
They’re saturated and non-polar
Why aren’t polymers biodegradable?
Very unreactive
How do you make a polymer more flexible?
Add plasticiser as it gets between the polymer chains and pushes them apart, reducing the intermolecular force strength which makes them easier to bend
Why do polymers make good plastics?
Unreactive, multiple strong non-polar bonds
What is a use of polythene?
Shopping bags
What does PVC stand for?
polychloroethene
What is PVC?
Waterproof polymer which has a long closely packed chain
What are the properties of PVC at room temperature?
hard and brittle
How is rigid PVC used?
Drainpipes, Window frames
How is plasticised PVC used?
Electrical cable insulation, flooring tiles and clothing (more flexible)
What are the two ways to make ethanol?
Fermentation
Hydration of ethene
What are the conditions of fermentation to produce alcohols?
Anaerobic (oxygen free)
yeast catalyst
temp. 30-40°C
What is the equation for fermentation to make alcohol?
C6 H12 O6 —> 2 C2 H5 OH + 2CO2
(yeast catalyst)
What are the advantages of fermentation to produce ethanol?
sugars renewable
cheap equipment
What are the disadvantages of fermentation to produce ethanol?
Batch process (its not continuous)
Ethanol needs distilling
What are the conditions needed for the hydration of ethene to make ethanol?
conc. acid (H3PO4 or H2SO4) catalyst
temp. 300°C
pressure 70 atm
(aqueous conditions)
What is the equation for the production of ethanol from the hydration of ethene?
C2H4 + H2O ⇌ C2H5OH
What are the advantages of ethanol production from the hydration of ethene?
Continuous process
Very high percentage yield (ethanol only product)
Produces purer product than fermentation
What are the disadvantages of ethanol production from the hydration of ethene?
ethene is non - renewable as comes from crude oil
What is ethanol used as?
biofuel
What is a biofuel?
fuel that’s made from biological material that’s recently died
What does carbon neutral mean?
no net release of CO2
Even if a reaction is carbon neutral why is the process not necessarily carbon neutral?
Transportation of reactants and products and machinery produce CO2
How is fermentation carbon neutral?
Glucose comes from photosynthesis:
6CO2 + 6H2O —> C6H12O6 + 6O2
Glucose is fermented to form ethanol:
C6H12O6 —> 2C2H5OH + 2CO2
Ethanol is combusted (used as a biofuel):
2C2H5OH + 6O2 —> 4CO2 + 6H2O
∴ 6CO2 in and 6CO2 out
Why is yeast needed in fermentation to make ethanol?
Produces an enzyme which converts glucose to ethanol and carbon dioxide
Why is fermenation to produce ethanol done at 30-40°C?
optimum temperature for the enzymes
How is ethanol separated from the products of fermentation?
fractional distillation
What are the advantages of biofuel?
Renewable energy source
What are the disadvantages of biofuel?
Petrol car engines would need to be modified
Land would need to be used to grow crops for fuel meaning it cant be used to grow food
Why does fermentation to make ethanol have to be anaerobic?
Must be anaerobic for the yeast to work
How do you classify an alcohol as primary, secondary or tertiary?
How many alkyl groups are attached to the carbon that’s bonded to the OH
What do you use to oxidise alcohols and whats the colour change?
acidified potassium dichromate ( K2 Cr2 O7 )
orange solution to green solution
What do primary alcohols oxidise to?
aldehydes
What do secondary alcohols oxidise to?
ketones
What do aldehydes oxidise to and what are the conditions?
carboxylic acid
heat under reflux
What do tertiary alcohols oxidise to?
they don’t easily oxidise
What is the only way to oxidise tertiary alcohols?
burn them
What do ketones oxidise to?
aren’t easily oxidised
What are the two tests to distinguish aldehydes and ketones?
Fehling’s solution
Tollen’s reagent
What do you observe when you add Fehling’s solution to aldehydes and ketones?
aldehyde - blue solution to brick red ppt
Cu 2+ —> Cu +
ketone - NVC
What do you observe when you add Tollen’s reagent to aldehydes and ketones?
aldehyde - silver mirror forms
Ag+ —> Ag
ketone - NVC
How do you get an aldehyde when oxidising a primary alcohol (eg ethanol)?
Distillation
Gently heat the alcohol with acidified potassium dichromate and use distillation apparatus as the aldehyde boils at a lower temp so is distilled off immediately