What are Organic Compounds?
The compounds in solid, liquid or gaseous states which contain carbon in their molecule are known as organic compounds.
There are a large number of organic compounds and therefore a proper systematic classification was required. Organic compounds can be broadly classified as acyclic (open chain) or cyclic (closed chain).
Table of Contents
Organic Compounds Classification
Moving on to their classification in detail:
Organic compounds are seen in a number of formats, including Lewis structures, space filled models and structural formulas. It is not uncommon to view the hydrogens as lines or to leave them all together in a structural formula of an organic molecule. They are understood to be present in order to complete the 4-bonds provided by the carbon atoms.
Organic compounds have been detected by mass spectra. The results obtained indicate that all extractants were able to perform direct analysis after extraction without any clean-up phase. Nevertheless, the form of organic compounds
extracted depending on the solvent used, suggesting their distinct ability to solubilize various biosolid organic compounds.
Organic Compounds
Organic chemistry was once thought to be confined to the study of substances produced as part of the natural processes of living organisms, but as Friedrich Wohler discovered in the early 1800s, organic compounds can be synthesized from minerals and other non-organic materials in the laboratory. Indeed, modern chemistry and materials sciences have concentrated on the remarkable properties of carbon atoms for the production of synthetic chemicals, pesticides and a host of other things. Organic compounds contain carbon, almost always bonded to another carbon and/or hydrogen.
Sometimes, other elements, such as phosphorus, nitrogen and oxygen, are also bound to carbons. There are a few carbon compounds that are not considered organic molecules. These involve carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, cyanates, cyanides and other carbon-containing ion compounds.
Alcohols include chemicals such as ethanol and isopropanol. They are used as antiseptics and ethanol is a staple of the beverage industry. Finally, carboxylic acids include a wide range of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals. Aspirin, one of the oldest commercial medicines, contains carboxylic acid.
While there are millions of organic compounds, there is a fairly simple classification scheme for these compounds and a method for naming even the most complex organic compounds. This unit will focus on helping you to identify
the classification of organic compounds and to name only some of the most common of these compounds.
What is an Organic Compound?
1. Acyclic or Open Chain Compounds:
These compounds are also known as aliphatic compounds, they have branched or straight chains. Following are the examples in this category.
2. Alicyclic or Closed Chain or Ring Compounds:
These are cyclic compounds which contain carbon atoms connected to each other in a ring (homocyclic). When atoms other than carbon are also present then it is called heterocyclic. Examples of this type are as follows:
They exhibit some properties similar to aliphatic compounds.
3. Aromatic Compounds
They are a special type of compound which contains benzene and other ring related compounds. Similar to alicyclic, they can also have heteroatoms in the ring. Such compounds are called heterocyclic aromatic compounds. Some examples are as follows:
(a) Benzenoid aromatic compounds
(b) Non-benzenoid aromatic compounds
4. Heterocyclic Aromatic Compounds
Organic compounds can also be classified on the basis of functional groups into families or homologous series.
1. Functional group
The functional group can be defined as an atom or a group of atoms that are joined together in a specific manner, which is responsible for the characteristic chemical properties of organic compounds. Examples, in this case, are the hydroxyl group -OH, aldehyde group -CHO and carboxylic acid group -COOH.
2. Homologous series
A group or a series of organic compounds in which each member contains the same characteristic functional group and differs from each other by a fixed unit form a homologous series and therefore its members are known as homologous. The members of the homologous series can be represented by a general formula and the successive members differ from each other in the molecular formula by a CH2 unit. There are a number of homologous series in organic chemistry such as alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, haloalkanes, alkanols, amines, etc.
