Lecture Notes on Functional Groups

Alkanes

• Definition: Hydrocarbon with only single carbon-hydrogen bonds.
• Example: Pentane
  • Contains five carbons.
  • Naming convention: Methane (1C), Ethane (2C), Propane (3C), Butane (4C), Pentane (5C), etc.

Alkenes

• Definition: Hydrocarbon with at least one carbon-carbon double bond.
• Example: 2-Butene
  • Four carbons, double bond between carbons 2 and 3.

Alkynes

• Definition: Hydrocarbon with at least one carbon-carbon triple bond.
• Example: 2-Butyne
  • Four carbons, triple bond between carbons 2 and 3.

Cycloalkanes

• Definition: Cyclic alkanes containing only single bonds.
• Examples:
  • Cyclopentane (5 carbons)
  • Cyclohexane (6 carbons)

Aromatic Rings

• Definition: Cyclic structures with alternating double bonds.
• Example: Benzene

Alkyl Halides

• Definition: Hydrocarbon with a halogen attached.
  • Also called haloalkanes.
  • Functional group: R-X, where X is a halogen (Cl, Br, F, I).

Ethers

• Definition: Oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups.
• Example: Dimethyl Ether
  • Structure: Two methyl groups attached to an oxygen atom.
  • Polar due to oxygen.

Alcohols

• Definition: Hydrocarbon with an -OH group.
• Examples:
  • 1-Butanol: OH group on carbon 1.
  • 2-Butanol: OH group on carbon 2.

Ketones and Aldehydes

• Ketones
  • Structure: R-CO-R'
  • Example: 2-Pentanone
• Aldehydes
  • Structure: R-CHO
  • Example: Hexanal
  • Carbonyl group at the end of the chain.

Carboxylic Acids

• Definition: Contain the functional group R-COOH.
• Example: Hexanoic Acid

Esters

• Definition: Derived from carboxylic acids, where the hydrogen is replaced with an alkyl group.
• Example: Methyl Ethanoate

Amines

• Definition: Hydrocarbons with an NH2 group.
• Examples:
  • Methylamine
  • Ethylamine: CH3CH2NH2

Amides

• Definition: Contain a carbonyl group attached to an NH2 group.
• Example: Butanamide

Nitriles

• Definition: Triple bond between carbon and nitrogen.
• Example: Ethane Nitrile

Acid Anhydrides

• Definition: Formed from the dehydration of two carboxylic acid molecules.
• Example: Acetic Anhydride

Acid Chlorides

• Definition: Carboxylic acids with an -OH group replaced by a Cl.
• Example: Acetyl Chloride

Thiols and Thioethers

• Thiols
  • Similar to alcohols but with sulfur (SH group).
• Thioethers
  • Analogous to ethers with sulfur replacing oxygen.

Enols and Enamines

• Enols: Hydroxyl group adjacent to a double bond.
• Enamines: Amino group adjacent to a double bond.

Imines

• Definition: Carbon double bonded to a nitrogen atom.

Peroxides and Peroxy Acids

• Peroxides: Two oxygen atoms linked together.
• Peroxy Acids: Carboxylic acids with a peroxide group.

Nitro Groups

• Present mainly in Organic Chemistry II

Additional Groups

• Carbocations, Radicals, Carbanions, Carbenes
  • Not traditional functional groups but important to recognize.

Resources and Study Aids

• For further study materials, access videos on Patreon or Vimeo.
  • Six-hour video for Organic Chemistry semester 1.
  • Eight-hour video for semester 2.
  • Additional material for General Chemistry and Physics.