ORGANIC_CHEMISTRY 2025

Learning Objectives

  • By the end of this course, students will be conversant with the chemistry of compounds related to future medical and pharmacy programmes.

Course Outline

  • Origin of Organic Chemistry
  • Uniqueness of the Carbon atom
  • Analysis of Organic Compounds
  • Concept of homologous series properties
  • Isomerism
  • Hydrocarbons: Saturated and Unsaturated

Textbooks

  • "Chemistry: An Experimental Science" by George M. Bodner and Harry L. Pardue, Published by John Wiley and Sons Inc.
  • "Organic Chemistry" by Susan McMurry, 5th Edition, 2000
  • "Organic Chemistry" by Finar

Origin of Organic Chemistry

  • Compounds are categorized into two types: Inorganic and Organic
  • Vital force: A historical concept suggesting that organic compounds could only be produced by living organisms.
  • In 1828, German Chemist Friederich Wohler synthesized urea from ammonium cyanate by simple heating, providing evidence against vitalism.

Definition

  • Organic Chemistry: The study of compounds containing carbon, with exceptions including simple compounds such as carbonates (CO32−CO_3^{2-}), hydrogen carbonates (HCO3−HCO_3^{-}), carbon dioxide (CO2CO_2), and carbon monoxide (COCO).
  • Over 6 million known organic compounds exist.

Uniqueness of Carbon

  • Fully shared octet of electrons in its compounds.
  • Forms strong single, double, and triple bonds.
  • Exhibits catenation: the ability to form long chains and rings by bonding to itself.
  • Can bond with H, N, O, P, and S.
  • Forms four covalent bonds; can withstand various bonding arrangements better than other elements.
  • Catenation is also exhibited by elements like silicon, germanium, and phosphorus but is limited compared to carbon.

Importance of Organic Chemistry

  • Essential to living systems and biochemistry.
  • Vital in Pharmacy and Medicine as many drugs are organic compounds.
  • Found in materials such as synthetic fibers, plastics, and artificial sweeteners.
  • Source of energy (e.g. fuels like coal and petroleum).

Analysis of Organic Compounds

  • Involves three types:
      - Qualitative analysis: Detection of elements present
      - Quantitative analysis: Determining proportions of components in a compound
      - Molecular mass/weight determination
      - Represented by molecular formula and structural formula.

Qualitative Analysis

  • Involves detecting elements in organic compounds, particularly carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and halogens.

Detection of Carbon and Hydrogen

  • Method: Heat the organic compound with cupric oxide (CuOCuO) strongly.
  • Chemical Reactions:
      - Carbon is oxidized to carbon dioxide:
        C + O_{2}
    ightarrow CO_{2}
      - Hydrogen is oxidized to water:
        2H + O_{2}
    ightarrow H_{2}O
  • Test for carbon dioxide: Lime water test changes to milky (due to CaCO3CaCO_3 formation).