Organic Chemistry

Topic 10

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 Organic Chemistry
● Organic chemistry is the chemistry of carbon containing
compounds.

● From the very simple: methane

● To the very complex: Haem B

By Smokefoot - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63789703

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 What defines an Organic
Compound?
● Contains carbon
● And, in nearly all cases, hydrogen is covalently bonded to
the carbon
● O, N, Cl and S are also often present
● but C is the key!

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Carbon can form a larger number of compounds than
all the other elements put together because of
catenation (chemical linkage into chains)

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 System of Classification
Homologous series

Families of compounds
Closely related to each other

Each member differs from the others in the

number of carbon atoms is contains

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 Homologous Series
Family of compounds

Same general formula

- Alkanes, CnH2n+2
- Alkenes, CnH2n

- Alcohols, CnH2n+1OH

Similar chemical properties

Gradation in physical
properties

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 Naming Straight-chain alkanes
▶ Suffix: ▶ Example 1: ethane
▶ Tells us the functional group
of the molecule
▶ For alkanes it is ‘-ane’
▶ Example 2: butane:
▶ Prefix:
▶ Tells us the length of the
longest carbon chain:
▶ 1 carbon: meth-
▶ 2 carbons: eth-
3 carbons: prop-
▶
▶ Task: write in the names of
4 carbons: but-
▶
the 4 straight chain alkanes
▶ 5 carbons: pent-
next to your diagrams from
▶ 6 carbons: hex-
last slide
▶ 7 carbons: hept-
▶ 8 carbons: oct-
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General Formulas
Alkanes
CnH2n+2

Alkenes
CnH2n

Alkynes
CnH2n-2
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Alkanes

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 Naming branched-chain alkanes
Start by naming the longest chain
▶
▶ Example 1: 2-methylpropane
▶ Add extras to say the size of a branch, its
position and how many of that branch

▶ Branch Size:
▶ 1 carbon: methyl-
▶ 2 carbons: ethyl-
▶ 3 carbons: propyl-
▶ Example 2: 2,3-
▶ Position:
▶ Number the carbons in the longest chain dimethylbutane
▶ Choose numbers to minimise the total
numbers used

▶ Number of same branches

▶ One branch – nothing
▶ Two branches – di-
▶ Three branches – tri-
▶ Four branches – tetra-

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The straight-chain alkenes
▶ Alkenes are the same as alkanes but have one C=C
double bond.

▶ The suffix for the alkene homologous series is ‘-ene’

▶ Task: draw full structural and skeletal formulas for each of the straight-chain
alkenes up to C6 and name them.
▶ Do the branched ones as well if you have time

▶ Hint: you need to state the position of the double bond, but only if there is the
possibility of multiple isomers:
▶ i.e. ‘but-2-ene’ or ‘hex-1-ene’ but only ‘ethene’ not ‘eth-1-ene’

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Key Points

▶ Structural isomers have the same number of each

atom but they are connected differently

▶ When naming compounds

▶ The longest carbon chain forms the prefix
▶ The functional group tells you the suffix
▶ Sometimes numbers need to be used to tell you where this
functional group is
▶ Side chains and other groups are named according to what
they are, how many there are and their position
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Naming Side Chains

Rule 1: choose the correct ending

ene
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Naming Side Chains

Rule 2: determine the longest carbon chain

ene
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Naming Side Chains

Rule 3: Assign numbers to each carbon

ene
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Naming Side Chains

Rule 3: Assign numbers to each carbon

ene
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Naming Side Chains

Rule 4: attach prefix (according to # of Cs)

hex-1-ene
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Naming Side Chains

ethyl

methyl
methyl
Rule 5: Determine name for side chains
hex-1-ene
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Naming Side Chains

ethyl

methyl
methyl
Rule 6: attach name of branches alphabetically
2-ethyl-4-methyl-4-methyl-hex-1-ene
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Naming Side Chains

ethyl

methyl
methyl
Rule 7,8: group similar branches
2-ethyl-4-methyl-4-methyl-hex-1-ene
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Naming Side Chains

ethyl

methyl
methyl
Rule 7,8: group similar branches
2-ethyl-4-methyl-4-methyl-hex-1-ene
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Naming Side Chains

ethyl

methyl
methyl
Rule 7,8: group similar branches
2-ethyl-4,4-dimethyl-hex-1-ene
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propene

2,4-dimethylpent-2-ene
but-2-ene

but-1-yne
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a) 3,3-dimethylpent-1-ene b) same

CH3 CH3

CH3 C C CH CH CH2

CH2 CH3
c) 5-ethyl-4-methylhept-2-yne
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For more lessons, visit
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General Formulas
Alcohols
CnH2n+1OH

Carboxylic Acids
CnH2n+1COOH
For acids, n does not include the carbon in the COOH
functional group

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 The part of the molecule containing only C and H

Hydrocarbon skeleton

The size of this increases as we go up the series

influencing properties of the compound more and more.

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