GROUPS OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
Can be

HYDROCARBONS - COMPOUNDS of CARBON

and HYDROGEN only.
Can be either

ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS straight chain structures

AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
which have benzene ring structures with double bonds

ALKANES single bonds ALKENES double bonds ALKYNES triple bonds

Some terminology: Saturated hydrocarbons these molecules have only single bonds between carbon atoms.

Unsaturated hydrocarbons Those compounds with double and triple bonds between carbon atoms are said to be unsaturated.

A homologous series is a family of compounds where each member differs from the previous one by a CH2 group.

Functional groups are small structural units within molecules at which most of the chemical reactions occur. The functional group determines the chemical properties of the molecule.

Hydrocarbons can be represented by: a molecular formula C2H6

a condensed structural formula CH3CH3 a structural formula

ALKANES The carbon atoms are joined to each other by single bonds. Each C atom makes 4 covalent bonds and so all other bonds are to hydrogen atoms.

Methane CH4

Ethane C2H6

Propane C3H8

THE ALKANE HOMOLOGOUS SERIES

Alkane name Methane Ethane Propane Butane Pentane Hexane Heptane Octane Nonane Decane
No of C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Molecular Condensed structural formula Formula

CH4 C2H6 C3H8 C4H10 C5H12 C6H14 C7H16 C8H18 C9H20 C 10H22

CH4 CH3CH3 CH3CH2CH3 CH3 CH2CH2CH3 CH3 CH2 CH2CH2CH3 CH3 CH2 CH 2CH2CH2CH3 CH3 CH2 CH2CH 2CH2CH2CH3
CH3 CH 2CH2 CH2CH 2CH2CH2CH3
CH3 CH 2CH2 CH 2CH2CH 2CH2CH2CH3 CH3CH2CH 2CH2CH 2CH2CH 2CH2CH2CH3

10

FOR YOU TO DO: Create a similar table for the alkenes. Replace one of the C C bonds with a double C=C bond. Create a similar table for the alkynes. Replace one of the C C bonds with a triple C-C bond. Draw structural formulae for each molecule represented in the tables.

Distinguish between the hydrocarbons using the general formulae Hydrocarbon Alkane Alkene Alkyne General Formula CnH2n CnH2n +2 CnH2n - 2

Straight and branched chain hydrocarbons: The hydrocarbons represented in the table given in the previous slide are all STRAIGHT chain hydrocarbons. Carbon chains can be branched which means that one of the hydrogen atoms is replaced by an alkyl group. 2 methylbutane

Naming alkyl groups Alkyl group structure CH3 CH3CH2CH3CH2CH2 CH3CH2 CH2CH2 Alkyl name methyl ethyl propyl butyl

FUNCTIONAL GROUPS

RULES FOR NAMING ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (IUPAC RULES) Identify the functional group of the molecule this determines the ending of the name. Eg only single bonds ends in -ane Find the longest continuous carbon chain and allocate its prefix according to the number of carbon atoms in the chain (see table for prefixes).

Number the carbon atoms in the chain. Number them so that the functional group is on the carbon of lowest possible number. Double and triple bonds take preference over side chains. Name the branched group according to the number of carbon atoms it has and give it a number according to the carbon atom it is attached to.

Name prefixes
No of C atoms 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Prefix Meth eth prop but pent hex hept oct non dec -

If there is more than one branched group of the same kind, use the Greek prefixes di, tri, tetra, penta and so on to indicate this.

If a halogen atom is attached to the carbon chain, it is treated as an alkyl group. The prefixes: fluoro-, chloro-, bromo -, and iodo are used. eg tetra-chloro methane CCl4

For alcohols, the name ending ol is used. eg ethanol.

For carboxylic acids, the name ending oic acid is used. eg ethanoic acid.

Apply the rules:

Longest chain 4 carbon atoms = prefix but Functional group alkane = name ends -ane Alkyl group on C2 = 2-methyl

Name:

2-methyl butane