PROPERTIES OF ORGANIC MOLECULES

General properties Most organic compounds are liquids and gases at room temperature. The melting and boiling points of substances is determined by the intermolecular forces existing between molecules. Most organic molecules are non-polar. They are slightly soluble or insoluble in water. Hydrocarbons dissolve in non-polar solvents like tetrachloro methane or xylene.

ALKANES Hydrocarbon molecules are usually unreactive molecules. They release less energy during combustion than other organic molecules. Less dense than water. Immiscible with water due to their non-polar nature. During combustion they form mainly carbon dioxide and water.

 The melting and boiling points increase with the increase in carbon chain length. Methane is a gas at room temperature while pentane and hexane are liquids. This is because the size of the intermolecular forces increase with increase in carbon chain length.

Hydrocarbons are environmental pollutants

ALKENES Unsaturated hydrocarbon molecules Less dense than water. Immiscible with water due to their non-polar nature. As with alkanes, the boiling and melting points increase with increase in molecular size.

 Alkenes are formed by the cracking of an alkane. When a long-chain alkane is heated in the presence of a catalyst, it breaks into smaller molecules. Alkenes undergo polymerisation reactions in which alkene molecules add to themselves to form long chains. CH2=CH2 CH3CH2CH=CH2 CH3CH2 (CH2CH2)nCH=CH2 momomer dimer polymer

Alkenes form GEOMETRIC ISOMERS. These are molecules with the same molecular and structural formulae, but differ in spatial orientation. This arises because of the double bond in the molecule. VSEPR theory predicts that the bonding electrons spread as far apart as possible. The bond angles around the double bond are 120o No rotation about the double bond is possible. A cis- and a transform of the molecule forms.

Geometric Isomers

cis -2 -butene

trans -2 -butene

These two isomers have the same molecular and condensed structural formulae. They differ only in the directions taken by the two CH3 groups attached to the double bond. The two isomers have different boiling points.

ALKYNES Unsaturated hydrocarbon molecules. The triple bond makes these molecules very reactive. Less dense than water. Immiscible with water due to their non-polar nature. As with alkanes, the boiling and melting points increase with increase in molecular size.

HYDROCARBON DERIVATIVES: ALCOHOLS Alcohols contain the hydroxide group (OH) substituted for hydrogen. The OH group is very polar and causes alcohol molecules to attract each other by hydrogen bonding. -O-H OH Alcohols have higher boiling points because of the hydrogen bonds.

Alcohol molecules have a non-polar hydrocarbon end and a polar OH section. Polar end Non polar end Alcohols are solvents for polar and non-polar solutes.

Methanol CH3OH Prepared by the dry distillation of wood. Methanol is very poisonous. Ethanol CH3CH2OH Ethanol is present in alcoholic beverages and is formed during the fermentation of sugars. C6H12O6 Sugar 2CH3CH2OH + H2O ethanol

Glycerol 1,2,3 propantriol Commonly called glycerine

Used as a lubricant. Has a high viscosity (like syrup) and boiling point due to the strong hydrogen bonds between the molecules.

HYDROCARBON DERIVATIVES: CARBOXYLIC ACIDS Carboxylic acids contain the COOH or carboxyl group.

methanoic acid

ethanoic acid

These acids ionise when dissolved in water to a small extent. They are thus weak acids. CH3COOH + H2O CH3COO- + H3O+

REVISION of INTERMOLECULAR FORCES There are three types of intermolecular forces Hydrogen bonds An electrostatic attraction between a lone pair of electron on an oxygen, nitrogen or fluorine atom covalently bonded to a hydrogen atom in a molecule and a hydrogen in an adjacent molecule.

Dipole-dipole forces An electrostatic force between oppositely charged ends of polar molecules.

London Forces Very weak electrostatic attraction caused by momentary dipoles set up due to the asymmetric distribution of electrons in atoms or non-polar molecules.