Introduction To Organic
Chemistry
Lecture 1
12.1 Introduction
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson the students should be able to :
1. List the elements that made up organic compounds C, H,
O, N, P, S and halogens.
2. State the ability of carbon to form 4 covalent bonds with
other carbons or elements.
3. Differentiate between saturated and unsaturated organic
compounds.
4. Give examples of organic compounds used in medicine,
engineering, biotechnology and agriculture.
WHAT IS ORGANIC CHEMISTRY?
Organic chemistry is the chemistry of carbon compounds.
Organic compounds contain H as well as C, while other
common elements are O, N, the halogens, S and P.
There are many varieties of organic compounds
( more than 10 millions!!!)
They may exist as simple or complex molecules; as gases,
liquids or solid and coloured or colourless.
Examples :-
CH4
methane (a component of natural gas)
OCOCH3
COOH
methyl salicylic acid (aspirin-a drug)
O
CH2 NH S
C
N
O
COOH
penicillin (an antibiotic)
Cl CH Cl
CCl3
dichlorodiphenyltrichloroetane
(DDT- a pesticide component)
All organic compounds consist of carbon atom.
Properties of carbon atom:
-has 4 valence electrons.
-can form 4 covalent bonds.
C C C C C C
Single bond Double bond Triple bond
Hydrocarbons
saturated unsaturated
Contains only single
bonds ( -C-C- ) Contains at least
one carbon-carbon
Examples: alkanes, double bond (-C=C-)
cycloalkanes or triple bond (-C
C-).
Examples: alkenes,
alkynes.
Uses of organic compounds
Medicine Antibiotics are used to fight
bacterial and fungal
infections
Engineering Gasoline-as a fuel for
internal combustion
engines.
Biotechnology Genetic information like
DNA
Agriculture DDT-as insectisides to kill
harmful insects.
Lecture 2:
12.2 Molecular and Structural Formulae
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson the students should
be able to :
Define structural formula.
Draw structural formula in the form of expanded,
condensed and skeletal structures based on the
molecular formula.
Explain primary (1°), secondary (2°), tertiary (3°) and
quaternary (4°) carbon.
Structural formula shows how the
atoms in a molecule are bonded to
each other.
3 types of structural formula:
• condensed structure
• expanded structure
• skeletal structure
2- Dimensional formula
Condensed Structure
Does not show single bonds between carbon and
hydrogen atoms, but double and triple bonds are
shown.
All atoms that are attached to a carbon are
written immediately after that carbon.
C4H9Cl CH3CHCH2CH3
(Condensed structure)
Examples:
ii) Cyclohexane, C6H12 iii) Aldehyde, CH3CHO
H2 O
C
H2C CH3CH
CH2
H2C
CH2
C
H2
Expanded Structure
Expanded structures indicate how atoms are
attached to each other but are not representations
of the actual shapes of the molecules.
H H H H
C4H9Cl
H C C C C H
Molecular
Formula H Cl H H
Expanded structure
Examples:
i) Alcohol (C2H6O)
H H
H C C OH
H H
ii) Carboxylic acid (C3H6O2 )
H H O
H C C C OH
H H
Skeletal Structure
Shows only the carbon skeleton.
Hydrogen atoms are not written.
Other atoms such as O, Cl, N etc. are shown.
i) CH3CH(Cl)CH2CH3 =
Cl
H2C CH2
ii) =
H2C CH2
3- Dimensional formula
( wedge – dashed wedge – line formula )
Describes how the atoms of a molecule
are arranged in space.
Example : Bromoethane
Br
H C H
Br H H
C C C
or H Br or H H
H H H Br
H
Indication :-
:bonds that lie in the plane
:bonds that lie behind the plane
:bonds that project out of the plane
Classification of C atoms:
A carbon atom can be classified as
primary carbon(1o) →bonded to 1 C
secondary carbon(2o) → bonded to 2 C
tertiary carbon(3o) → bonded to 3 C
quarternary carbon(4o) → bonded to 4 C
H
H C H
CH3
10 carbon
10 carbon
CH3
H C CH3
CH3
30 carbon
1
1
H H CH3 CH3
1 1
H C C C CH2 C CH3
H H H CH3
1
H H CH3 CH3
2
H C C C CH2 C CH3
2
H H H CH3
H H CH3 CH3
3 4
H C C C CH2 C CH3
H H H CH3
Question
Expanded Condensed Skeletal
Structure Structure Structure
CH3(CH2)CCl(CH3)2
H H CH3
H
C C CH
H H CH3
