Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry

Organic? • “organic” chemistry comes from studying the chemistry of living things • A LOT of carbon involved • Carbon has special properties • Bond with itself in multiple ways • Form single, double, and triple bonds, can even form rings or ‘cage-like’ structures • So organic chemistry is mostly about studying compounds with carbon (but NOT CO2, or carbides (single element bonded with carbon))

Hydrocarbons • Group of compounds that involve carbon, and hydrogen (all organic compounds) • Simplest organic compounds • Thousands of different types of hydrocarbons because carbon can bond with itself in different arrangements

Alkanes • Single bonds between carbon and hydrogen • Also called saturated (single bonds only) • Formula is CnH2n+2 • Give the formula and name of the first four alkanes

Alkenes • Double bonds between carbon (even just one!) • Also called unsaturated • Formula is CnH2n • Give the formula and name of the first four alkenes

Alkynes • Triple bonds between carbon (even just one!) • Also called unsaturated • Formula is CnH2n-2 • Give the formula and name of the first three alkynes

Alkanes

Alkenes

Alkynes

Single Bond vs Double and Triple • Single bonds are easy to break (that is why saturated foods are better for you) • Double bonds are very hard to break (unsaturated) • Triple bonds are almost impossible (unsaturated)

IUPAC Naming • For hydrocarbons, you use the “parent” chain and count the number of carbons • The ending refers to the single, double, or triple bonds • What if there are branches?

Parent and Side Chains

Rules for Naming Side-Chains • Count the number of carbons in the longest chain (parent chain) – find the name • Number the carbons in that longest chain starting at the side closest to the side chain • Give names to the side chains (end with “yl”) • Examples at Naming Organic Compounds • Practice at Practice Naming

Organic Chemistry