Introduction of Organic

Chemistry
Desired Learning Competencies
• Define Organic Chemistry
• Recognize the importance of Organic Chemistry in
various fields.
• Outline the development of Organic Chemistry as a
Science
• Identify the unique characteristics of carbon
Development of Organic Chemistry
as a Science
In the past TORBERN BERGMAN
(1700) …, Organic Chemistry is the Chemistry of the
compounds present in living organisms.

Chemistry

Organic Inorganic
compounds compounds
obtained from obtained from
living organisms non-living sources
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a flavoring compound from
the essential oil of
spearmint extracted from the bark of the
South American cinchona tree

a perfume distilled from jasmine flowers

 JONS JACOB BERZELIUS coined the
1807
term “organic chemistry” for the study
of compounds derived from natural
sources.

VITAL FORCE THEORY

Vitalism was the belief -Vitalism held that

that organic organic compounds
compounds could only must contain a
be made by living peculiar “vital force”
organisms and could as a result of their
never be synthesized origin in living
by man. sources. 5
 MICHEL CHEVREUL found that soap,
prepared by the reaction of alkali with
1816
animal fat, could be separated into several
pure organic compounds, which he termed
fatty acids.
 FRIEDRICH WOHLER, a German chemist
1828 converted “inorganic” salt ammonium
cyanate into “organic” substance urea,
which had previously been found in human
urine.

(Inorganic compound) (Organic compound)

Redefining … ...

Organic chemistry is the chemistry

of the compounds of carbon along
with other elements found in living
things and elsewhere.

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 The Unique Nature of Carbon

6C
http://www.had2know.com/ 9
The Unique Nature of Carbon
1. Carbon has the ability to form four strong covalent
bonds.
• Electronic configuration of carbon (ground state) :
1s22s22p2

Carbon (ground state)

• Each carbon atom has four unpaired electrons when excited

Carbon (excited state)

• Tend to form four strong covalent bonds
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The Unique Nature of Carbon
2. Carbon has the ability to catenate.
• Carbon atoms link together to form chains of varying length,
branched chains and rings of different sizes
 Catenation is the ability of atoms to form
stable bonds with itself, hence joining up into
chains or rings
BUTANE 2-METHYLPROPANE Cyclobutane
straight chain branched Cyclic/ring

C4H10 C4H8
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The Unique Nature of Carbon
3. Carbon has the ability to form multiple bonds.
sp3
4 bonds
1 bond (single bond)

sp2
1 bond, 1 bond (double bond) 1 bond, 3 bonds

sp

2 bonds, 1 bond (triple bond) 2 bonds, 2 bonds

Carbon (excited state)

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The Unique Nature of Carbon
3. Carbon has the ability to form multiple bonds.

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Organic Compounds are everywhere…….
Distillation of coal to give gas for lighting and heating
(mainly hydrogen and carbon monoxide) also gave a
brown tar rich in aromatic compounds such as
benzene, pyridine, phenol, aniline, and thiophene
Food Industry
Pharmaceuticals
Agriculture
Dyes
References:

• McMurry, J. (2007). Organic Chemistry. USA: Thomson Higher

Education.
• Silberberg, M. S. (2006). Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of
Matter and Change. (4 ed., pp. 399-409) New York: Mc Graw
Hill.
• Clayden, Greeves, Warren & Wothers (2001). Organic
Chemistry. New York. Oxford printing Press

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