INTRODUCTION
What is Organic chemistry?
Is the branch of chemistry that deals with the study of compounds of carbon All organic compounds contain carbon together with one or more other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine, Nitrogen and sulphur These organic compounds range from simple molecules such as methane, ethene, ethyne, giant molecules such as Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA),rubber, cotton, drugs, insecticides, explosives and photographic films- of which all these compounds are of great importance in everyday life Organic chemistry is also the foundation for basic studies in Botany, nutrition, agriculture, pharmacy, technology, forestry, zoology etc
UNIQUENESS OF CARBON IN ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
- Carbon behaves differently from the rest of the group members due:
- Small Atomic radius
- High electronegativity
- Lack of vacant orbital Some of the properties in which Carbon differs from the rest of the members include:
- It forms a stable multiple bonds with itself and with other non-metals.
- Carbon can form a number of hydrocarbons because it can catenate. Catenation is the ability of the element to form bonds between atoms of the same element.
- It forms gaseous oxides unlike other members
- The halides are stable to hydrolysis. CHARACTERISTIC PROPERTIES OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
- Most organic compounds are:
- Covalently bonded and generally gases, volatile liquids and low melting point solids with few elements such as carbon, hydrogen, sulphur, nitrogen and halogens
- Low melting and boiling point compoundsGenerally insoluble in water except those with polar functional groups such as OH, COOH, SO3H
- The reactions are generally slow although some are explosive and most reactions require catalysts