Families of Organic Compounds

Overview of Organic Chemistry

  • Definition: Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-based compounds.

  • Significance:

    • More than 10 million compounds contain carbon.

    • Carbon compounds are found in various everyday materials, including paint, gasoline, plastics, and medicinal drugs.

  • Connections: Organic chemistry has a direct link to biochemistry and biological processes.

Classification of Organic Compounds

  • Functional Groups: Organic compounds are categorized into families based on the presence of certain atoms or functional groups in their structure.

    • Definition of Functional Group: An atom, group of atoms, or bond that imparts specific chemical properties to a molecule.

Hydrocarbons

  • Definition: Hydrocarbons are compounds that consist solely of carbon and hydrogen atoms.

  • Categories: Hydrocarbons can be classified into four main families.

    • Molecular Interaction: Molecules primarily interact through London dispersion forces.

Types of Hydrocarbons

  • Types: The type of bond present in hydrocarbons determines the molecular shape and bond angles:

    • Alkane: Exhibits a tetrahedral shape with bond angles of 109.5°.

    • Alkene: Exhibits a trigonal planar shape with bond angles of 120°.

    • Alkyne: Exhibits a linear shape with bond angles of 180°.

Heteroatom-Containing Organic Families

  • Definition of Heteroatom: Any atom that is not carbon or hydrogen.

  • Common Families:

    • Oxygen-Containing Compounds:

    • Alcohols: Have a hydroxyl (-OH) group attached to an alkane-type carbon.

    • Phenols: Have a hydroxyl (-OH) group attached to an aromatic ring.

    • Ethers: Feature a carbon-oxygen-carbon (C-O-C) linkage.

    • Sulfur-Containing Compounds:

    • Thiols: Contain a sulfhydryl (-SH) group attached to an alkane-type carbon.

    • Sulfides: Feature a carbon-sulfur-carbon (C-S-C) linkage.

    • Disulfides: Feature a carbon-sulfur-sulfur-carbon (C-S-S-C) linkage.

Chemical Properties of Oxygen and Sulfur Compounds

  • These compounds are abundant in nature and are responsible for many familiar odors.

Nitrogen-Containing Organic Families

  • Amines: Featured in compounds where a nitrogen atom is directly bonded to one or more alkane-type or aromatic carbon atoms; they are common in biochemical compounds.

Halogen-Containing Organic Families

  • Alkyl Halides: Contain a halogen atom bonded to an alkane-type carbon atom.

Intermolecular Interactions in Heteroatom-Containing Compounds

  • Hydrogen Bonding: Compounds such as alcohols, phenols, and amines exhibit hydrogen bonds due to hydrogen attached to electronegative atoms (O or N).

  • Dipole-Dipole Interactions:

    • Alcohols, phenols, ethers, amines, and alkyl halides have polar bonds resulting in dipole-dipole interactions.

  • Nonpolar Compounds: Thiols, sulfides, and disulfides consist exclusively of nonpolar covalent bonds and primarily experience London dispersion forces.

Carbonyl-Containing Compounds

  • Carbonyl Group: Denoted as C=O, this functional group leads to distinct compound types:

    • Ketones: Contain a carbonyl group attached to two other carbon atoms.

    • Aldehydes: Contain a carbonyl group attached to at least one hydrogen atom.

Examples of Organic Compounds

  • Progesterone: C{21}H{30}O_{2}

  • Testosterone: C{19}H{28}O_{2}

  • Vanillin: C{8}H{8}O_{3}

  • Jasmone: C{11}H{16}O

  • Cinnamaldehyde: C{9}H{8}O