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Organic Chemistry

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-containing molecules' structure, characteristics, content, reactions, and manufacture. The most common components in organic molecules are carbon and hydrogen, although they can also contain a variety of additional elements (e.g., nitrogen, oxygen, halogens, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur).

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon, a chemical element that forms strong chemical bonds with other carbon atoms as well as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and the halogens. More than a million carbon compounds have been identified due to its ability in creating covalent bonds. Many are made up entirely of carbon and hydrogen, and are referred to as hydrocarbons. Petroleum is the source of the majority of hydrocarbons. Carbon creates four covalent bonds (four shared electron pairs) per atom, which can be four single bonds, two single bonds and one double bond, or one single bond and one triple bond. Because carbon may connect in a variety of ways, the structure of compounds is an essential aspect of organic chemistry.Three organic molecules, for example, have the same chemical formula, C5H12, but they differ because each binds the five carbon atoms in a different way. Isomers are compounds having the same formula but distinct structures. The relevance of structure and composition in organic chemistry cannot be overstated.

Properties of Organic Compounds

  • Melting and boiling properties

Organic compounds tend to melt and many of them boil. Inorganic materials, on the other hand, may typically be melted but do not boil, and instead deteriorate. The melting point (m.p.) and boiling point (b.p.) of organic compounds were once used to determine their purity and identification. The melting and boiling temperatures of molecules are related to their polarity and molecular weight. Some organic molecules, particularly those with symmetrical structures, are sublime. Para-dichlorobenzene, the odiferous element of contemporary mothballs, is a well-known example of a sublimable organic compound. Although there are rare exceptions, organic molecules are typically not particularly stable at temperatures exceeding 300 °C.

  • Solubility

Organic molecules that are neutral are hydrophobic, meaning they are less soluble in water than they are in organic solvents. Organic molecules with ionizable groups, as well as low molecular weight alcohols, amines, and carboxylic acids that form hydrogen bonds, are exceptions. Organic substances, on the other hand, tend to dissolve in organic solvents. The solubility of organic solutes and organic solvents varies greatly.

  • Solid state properties

Various specialised properties of molecular crystals and organic polymers with conjugated systems, such as piezoelectricity, electrical conductivity (see conductive polymers and organic semiconductors), and electro-optical (e.g. nonlinear optics) properties, are of interest depending on applications. Due to historical considerations, such features are primarily the domains of polymer and materials research.

Nomenclature of Organic Compounds

Organic compound names can be either systematic (following a set of rules) or nonsystematic (following diverse traditions). Specifications from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) govern systematic nomenclature. The name of a parent structure inside the molecule of interest is the starting point for systematic nomenclature. Prefixes, suffixes, and numerals are added to this parent name to clearly describe the structure. Because there are millions of chemical compounds known, using systematic nomenclature can be difficult. As a result, IUPAC guidelines for simple compounds are more carefully followed than for complicated ones. To apply systematic naming, one must first understand the parent structures’ structures and names. Unsubstituted hydrocarbons, heterocycles, and mono functionalized derivatives of these are examples of parent structures.Organic chemists prefer non systematic nomenclature because it is more straightforward and unambiguous. The structure of the chemical is not indicated by nonsystematic nomenclature. Complex compounds, such as those found in most natural goods, frequently use them. As a result, the lysergic acid diethylamide is given an official name (6aR,9R) -N,N-diethyl-7-methyl-4,6,6a,7,8,9-hexahydro indolo-[4,3-fg] quinoline-9-carboxamide.

Organic Chemistry Importance

Organic chemistry is important since it is the study of life and all of the chemical events that occur as a result of it. Doctors, veterinarians, dentists, pharmacologists, chemical engineers, and chemists are among the professionals who use chemistry knowledge. Organic chemistry is involved in the production of common home chemicals, foods, polymers, pharmaceuticals, and fuels, as well as the majority of compounds used in everyday life. A chemist having a university degree in chemistry can work as an organic chemist. A doctoral or academic degree in chemistry is often required, while a B.Sc. in chemistry may be adequate for some entry-level professions. Organic chemists often do their research and development in a lab setting.Organic chemists might be used on projects such as developing a more effective painkiller, manufacturing a silkier shampoo, creating a stain-resistant carpet, or discovering a non-toxic insect repellent. Organic chemistry is used in the examination of oil and gas, as well as in the research of the diagenesis of plant and animal tissues in sediments, and how the resulting substance, kerogen, creates petroleum. Organic chemistry chemicals are one of the most essential starting materials for a wide range of chemical businesses.

Conclusion

Organic Chemistry has a long and varied history, with numerous researchers from several nations generating discoveries that, when combined over 200 years, gave rise to the area of Organic Chemistry. The fascination in carbon-based molecules, often known as organic compounds, came from the fact that there were so many diverse substances to be discovered in nature, many of which had medical applications. Frederich Wöhler’s (1828) discovery of a laboratory synthesis of urea demonstrated that organic molecules did not have to be generated by natural processes but could also be prepared by people, paving the door for synthetic organic chemistry. Because of the contributions of Heisenberg and Schroedinger, among others, the theory of chemical bonding rose to prominence.The electrical configuration of elements is considered as a mixture of electrons at certain energy levels known as shells, which are further divided into subshells with s, p, d, and f orbitals. All compounds are formed on the basis of an element’s capacity to donate or share electrons with other elements to form bonds. Ionic bonds are formed when elements create bonds through full donation and reception of electrons.

Covalent bonds are the most common type of bond found in organic compounds, and they are created by the sharing of two electrons in a chemical. The carbon atom can be found in a variety of hybridised states in carbon compounds.The idea of hybridization, which states that as carbon creates bonds, its electrical configuration changes, is needed to explain the shapes and patterns of organic substances’ properties As a result, carbon in sp3 is said to be hybridised.Electronic combinations sp2, sp, and so that give birth to carbon single bonds

Sigma bonds are a kind of chemical bond. In the sp2 and sp3 orbitals, the unhybridized p orbital configurations are used to create bonds known as pi bonds, which give rise to the number pi.Ethenes and ethynes have double and triple bonds, respectively. The ties

Polar covalent links exist between carbon and polar atoms and are known as polar covalent bonds.

 
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What are the four most important components of organic chemistry?

Ans.Most organic molecules are made up of four elements: hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen.

What is the difference between isomerism and isomers?

Ans. The phenomenon of isomerism occurs when two or more compounds have the same chemical formula but distinct chemi...Read full

Who is the father of organic chemistry?

Ans. Friedrich Wöhler

Isomerism was discovered by whom?

Ans.J. J. Berzelius was the first to detect isomerism in 1827. Louis Pasteur was one of the first to experiment with...Read full

What is the first organic chemical you can think of?

Ans.Wohler, a German scientist, created Urea by combining silver cyanate with ammonium chloride in 1828. It was the ...Read full