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This course surveys structural chemistry of organic compounds with an emphasis on electronic structure, conformation and stereochemistry. Concepts and models are developed to build intuition about the stability and reactivity of organic compounds. These concepts will prepare students for a mechanistic-based approach to learning organic reactivity. Emphasis will also be placed on developing problem-solving skills unique to organic chemistry. This course (Introductory Organic Chemistry Part I) together with Introductory Organic Chemistry Part II are equivalent to a first-semester organic chemistry course; these courses and the subsequent courses (Intermediate Organic Chemistry Parts I and II) are especially suited for students in agricultural, nutritional and biological sciences, as well as pre-medical, pre-dental, and pre-veterinary programs.
Overview
Syllabus
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Module Key Concepts Week 1: The Building Blocks of Organic Chemistry
- Period 2 Elements
- Formal Charge
- Stability Trends
- Bonding Patterns
- Functional Groups
- Basic Organic Nomenclature
- Molecular Symmetry
- Chirality
- Stereochemical Descriptors
- Representations of 3-Dimensional Structures
- Resonance
- Wave Properties of Electrons
- Atomic Orbitals
- Linear Combination of Atomic Orbitals
- Constructing Simple MO Diagrams
- Inferring Reactivity From MO Diagrams
- The Hybrid Orbital Approximation
- Frontier Orbital Theory
- Conformations of Linear Molecules
- Stability of Cyclic Molecules
- Conformations of Cyclohexanes
- Coordinate Diagrams
- Bond Energy Changes
- Transition States
- Nucleophiles and Electrophiles
- Acid-Base Equilibria
- Substitution Reactions
- Elimination Reactions
- Discriminating Related Reaction Mechanisms
- Stereospecificity of Substitution and Elimination Reaction Mechanisms
- Carbocation Rearrangements
- Activated C-O Electrophiles
- Carbon-Based Nucleophiles
