The carbon and its hybrid orbitals. Nature of sigma and p bonds. Hydrocarbons: structure, properties nomenclature, isomerism and conformational analysis. The concept of resonance. Acids and bases in organic chemistry. Organic compounds containing hetero atoms. Stereoisomerism: chirality, enantiomers and diastereoisomers. Reaction mechanisms: additions, eliminations and substitutions. Carbonyl and carboxylic derivatives: properties and reactivity. Sugars, amino acids, lipids.
Janice Gorzynski Smith "FONDAMENTI DI CHIMICA ORGANICA" ED. Mc Graw Hill
Learning Objectives
Among course's goals there are the knowledge of structure and properties of simple organic molecules, including biomolecules, and the ability of managing basic principles of organic molecules transformations in substitution, elimination and addition processes.
Prerequisites
Preparing organic chemistry exam after having passed those of general and inorganic chemistry it is strongly recommended.
Teaching Methods
Frontal lectures with the help of slides.
Type of Assessment
Oral exam.
Course program
Structure and properties of organic molecules (3 credits): The carbon atom and its hybrid orbitals (sp3, sp2, sp) in organic compounds. Structural consequences of hybridization. Sigma and pi bonds. Isomers and conformers. Relationship between structure and properties of organic compounds. Inter and intra-molecular interactions: Van der Waals, dipole-dipole, and Hydrogen bonding. The role of resonance and delocalization in organic chemistry. Acids and bases. Fundamental organic functional groups.
Organic stereochemistry (1 credit): chirality and symmetry. Organic molecules ad rigid objects. Role and impact of right-handed and left-handed molecules. Stereoisomers, diastereoisomers and enantiomers. Racemic mixtures.
Organic reactivity (3 credits): Organic reactions kinetic and mechanism. SN2 and SN1 nucleophilic substitutions, E2 and E1 elimination: mechanism, products and stereochemical features. Addition to carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatoms multiple bonds. Electrophilic aromatic substitution (SEAr): mechanism and reactivity of benzene and substituted arenes. Reactivity of carbonyl and carboxylic compounds: addition, addition-elimination, alpha-substitution.
Chemistry of biomolecules (2 credit): Amino acids, sugars and lipids: structure, properties and reactivity. Peptides, proteins, disaccharides and polysaccharides: structure, properties. An overview on the role of these biomolecules in biological processes.