This module will introduce you to undergraduate level organic chemistry. Organic chemistry has its own language, and way of presenting information. By the end of this module you will be confident in using the language of organic chemistry to discuss the path of simple reactions. Through lectures, workshops and tutorial sessions you will develop your understanding and appreciation of organic chemistry.
Outline Syllabus
The language of organic chemistry: Drawing organic compounds, Functional groups, nomenclature, isomerism, assigning R and S stereochemistry, simple conformational analysis.
Mechanism: Hybridisation and curly arrows, electrophiles, radicals and nucleophiles, reactive intermediates and transition states, electron distributions-inductive, resonance and hypercojugation effects, strength of nucleophiles and electrophiles, carbocation stabilities rearrangements, pKa.
Analytical tools for organic chemistry: Revision of 1H and 13C NMR, introduction to mass spectrometry and IR.
Introduction to reactions - classification of reactions and reaction selectivity: Acid-base reactions, polar addition and polar substitution, radical reactions and pericyclic reactions. Substitution and elimination, structure of haloalkanes, halogenation. The concepts of chemo, regio and stereoselectivity.
Nucleophilic substitution and elimination: Leaving groups and the relation to pKa, the course of the SN1 and SN2 reactions, stereochemical implications of the SN1 and SN2 reactions. Elimination reaction mechanisms E1 and E2, Saytzev versus Hoffman.
Alkenes and alkynes: Electrophilic addition, Radical addition, Epoxidation and simple pericyclic reaction.