Organic Chemistry – Some Basic Principles and Techniques

• Introduction

  • Definition of Organic Chemistry (Study of carbon compounds)
  • Tetravalency and catenation property of Carbon

• Classification of Organic Compounds

  • Acyclic / Open Chain (Aliphatic)
  • Cyclic / Closed Chain
    • Alicyclic
    • Aromatic (Benzenoid and Non-benzenoid)
    • Heterocyclic

• Nomenclature of Organic Compounds

  • IUPAC System of Nomenclature
  • Components of IUPAC Name
    • Root Word (Number of carbon atoms in principal chain)
    • Suffix (Primary and Secondary for functional groups)
    • Prefix (Primary for cyclo- and Secondary for substituents)
  • Rules for naming: Longest chain, Lowest locant rule, Alphabetical order

• Isomerism

  • Definition: Same molecular formula, different properties
  • Structural Isomerism
    • Chain isomerism
    • Position isomerism
    • Functional group isomerism
    • Metamerism
    • Tautomerism
  • Stereoisomerism
    • Geometrical isomerism
    • Optical isomerism

• Fundamental Concepts in Organic Reaction Mechanism

  • Fission of a Covalent Bond
    • Homolytic cleavage (Forms Free Radicals)
    • Heterolytic cleavage (Forms Carbocations and Carbanions)
  • Nucleophiles and Electrophiles
    • Nucleophile (Electron-rich species, Lewis base)
    • Electrophile (Electron-deficient species, Lewis acid)
  • Electron Movement in Organic Reactions
    • Curved arrow notation ($ Curved \rightarrow$)

• Electronic Displacements in Covalent Bonds

  • Inductive Effect ($I$-effect)
    • Permanent displacement of $\sigma$ electrons
    • $-I$ effect (Electron-withdrawing) and $+I$ effect (Electron-donating)
  • Resonance Effect ($R$-effect) or Mesomeric Effect
    • Delocalization of $\pi$ electrons
    • $+R$ effect and $-R$ effect
  • Electromeric Effect ($E$-effect)
    • Temporary complete transfer of $\pi$ electrons
    • $+E$ effect and $-E$ effect
  • Hyperconjugation
    • Delocalization of $\sigma-\pi$ electrons ("No-bond resonance")
    • Stability of alkenes and carbocations

• Methods of Purification of Organic Compounds

  • Sublimation
  • Crystallisation
  • Distillation (Simple, Fractional, Under reduced pressure, Steam)
  • Differential Extraction
  • Chromatography (Adsorption and Partition chromatography)

• Qualitative Analysis of Organic Compounds

  • Detection of Carbon and Hydrogen
  • Detection of Nitrogen, Sulphur, Halogens, and Phosphorus (Lassaigne's Test)

• Quantitative Analysis

  • Estimation of Carbon and Hydrogen (Liebig's method)
  • Estimation of Nitrogen (Dumas method and Kjeldahl's method)
  • Estimation of Halogens (Carius method)
  • Estimation of Sulphur (Carius method)
  • Estimation of Phosphorus (Molybdate method)
  • Estimation of Oxygen (Difference method)