Advanced Organic Chemistry Concepts

A comprehensive set of 50 vocabulary flashcards covering advanced concepts in organic chemistry.

Steric Number

The total number of atoms bonded to a central atom, plus the number of lone pairs on that atom.

Electronegativity

The tendency of an atom to attract electrons towards itself.

Homolytic Cleavage

A bond breaking process in which each fragment receives one of the shared electrons.

Heterolytic Cleavage

A bond breaking process that produces charged species, where one atom receives both electrons.

Electronic Displacement Effect

The effect observed in a molecule due to the movement of electrons.

Inductive Effect

A permanent effect which is the shifting of electron density along a chain of atoms in a molecule.

Resonance

The phenomenon where the electron density is delocalized over two or more adjacent atoms.

Aromatic Compounds

Compounds that contain a cyclic structure with a conjugated pi electron system.

Non-Aromatic Compounds

Compounds that do not satisfy the criteria for aromaticity and lack a stable ring structure.

Anti-Aromatic Compounds

Compounds that have a cyclic structure and a conjugated pi system but are destabilized due to their electron configuration.

Molecular Orbital Theory

A theory that explains the behavior of electrons in molecules by considering molecular orbitals formed from atomic orbitals.

Sigma Bond

A covalent bond formed by direct overlap of atomic orbitals.

Pi Bond

A covalent bond formed by the sideways overlap of p orbitals.

Delocalization

The spreading of electron density across multiple atoms or orbitals.

Sp3 Hybridization

A type of hybridization involving one s and three p orbitals, resulting in four equivalent sp3 hybrid orbitals.

Sp2 Hybridization

A type of hybridization involving one s and two p orbitals, resulting in three sp2 hybrid orbitals.

Carbene

A reactive species containing a carbon atom with only two bonds and two non-bonding electrons.

Radical

A species that contains unpaired electrons, making it highly reactive.

Electrophile

A species that accepts an electron pair from a nucleophile in a chemical reaction.

Nucleophile

A species that donates an electron pair to an electrophile in a chemical reaction.

Hydrogenation

The process of adding hydrogen to an unsaturated compound.

Electrostatic Stability

The stability of a molecule due to the distribution of electric charge among its atoms.

Hydration Energy

The energy released when ions become hydrated in a solution.

Conjugate Acid

The species formed when an acid donates a proton (H+).

Bronsted-Lowry Acid

A substance that can donate a proton in a chemical reaction.

Bronsted-Lowry Base

A substance that can accept a proton in a chemical reaction.

Resonance Stabilization

Stabilization of a molecule due to resonance structures or delocalization of electrons.

Nucleophilic Substitution Reaction

A type of reaction in which a nucleophile replaces a leaving group in a molecule.

Elimination Reaction

A reaction in which elements of the starting material are removed, forming a double bond.

Addition Reaction

A reaction where atoms or groups are added to a molecule, usually resulting in saturation.

Stereoisomerism

Isomerism where compounds have the same molecular formula but differ in the spatial arrangement of atoms.

Chirality

A property of a molecule that makes it nonsuperimposable on its mirror image.

Enantiomers

Pairs of chiral molecules that are mirror images of each other.

Diastereomers

Stereoisomers that are not mirror images of each other.

Alkane

A saturated hydrocarbon with single bonds only.

Alkene

An unsaturated hydrocarbon with at least one double bond.

Alkyne

An unsaturated hydrocarbon that contains at least one triple bond.

Functional Group

A specific group of atoms within a molecule responsible for characteristic chemical reactions.

Spectroscopy

An analytical technique used to measure the interaction of light with matter.

Chromatography

A method for separating mixtures and analyzing compounds.

IUPAC Nomenclature

The systematic naming of organic chemical compounds based on established rules.

Hybridization

The mixing of atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals for bonding.

Rate Law

An equation that relates the rate of a reaction to the concentration of its reactants.

Catalyst

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed.

Equilibrium Constant (K)

A number that expresses the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium.

Activation Energy (Ea)

The minimum energy required for a chemical reaction to occur.