Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry introduces the chemistry of organic compounds including saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons and major functional groups as well as nomenclature, stereochemistry, and spectroscopic data. The focus will be to understand how reactions occur using mechanisms and will apply this knowledge to problem solve how complex organic molecules are synthesized.  In this course molecular models will be used to reinforce concepts and labs will be used to apply this information to real world applications.  

Organic Chemistry Unit Outline

• UNIT 1: Lewis structures, hydrogen deficiency, bond-line notation, formal charge, hybridization and shape, functional groups, chirality, geometric and structural isomers

• UNIT 2: PKa/acid-base organic chemistry, resonance, inductive effect, aromaticity, infrared spectroscopy (IR), gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GCMS)

• UNIT 3: Alkene addition reactions, alkyne addition reactions, road maps

• UNIT 4: Substitution reactions, chairs, Newman projections, Elimination reactions, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions (time permitting), Grignard reactions (time permitting)