Organic Chemistry 101
 John Mclain

Organic chemistry is a branch and specific discipline of
chemistry. Organic chemistry deals specifically with the
properties, structure, and composition of organic compounds.
Organic compounds, by definition, are compounds that contain
carbon and hydrogen atoms. It is generally agreed that the
science of organic chemistry began in 1828. It is then that
Friedrich Woehler accidentally evaporated an aqueous solution
and came up with the organic compound called urea.

Although carbon is not the most common element in the world, it
is one of the most versatile. Organic compounds are composed of
carbon and hydrogen molecules, but may also contain other
elements. Some of the most common elements found in organic
compounds include oxygen, halogens, nitrogen, and sometimes
sulfur or phosphorus.

Most organic compounds are covalently bonded, which allows them
to form long, complex carbon chains and rings. Carbon atoms are
very stable, and are able to form stable covalent bonds with
one another (known as catenation). Unlike non-organic
materials, organic compounds will usually melt or decompose if
exposed to temperatures below 300 degrees Celsius. Another
characteristic of organic compounds is that they tend to be
more soluble in organic solvents. Solubility, however, always
depends on the overall structure of the compound and the
functional groups present. A functional group refers to the
parts of a molecule that make up its specific chemical nature.


Perhaps the most important and most studied types of organic
compounds are those that contain nitrogen. These compounds
usually contain parts of the amino group. When the amino group
combines with the carboxyl group, amino acids are born. Amino
acids are regarded as the building blocks of proteins.

Scientists and researchers use several types of methods in
order to determine the molecular structure of an organic
compound. Here are the most common methods currently in use:

Crystallography: Crystallography is the science of determining
the arrangements of atoms in solids. By studying the
diffraction patterns given off by a sample, scientists are able
to determine its structure. This is the most precise method for
studying compounds. However, most crystals are not large enough
to produce a clear picture of some compounds.

Mass Spectrometry: This method involves examining the molecular
weight and fragmentation pattern of a compound to determine its
chemical structure.

Elemental Analysis: Elemental analysis involves analyzing the
sample of the compound to determine its elemental and isotopic
composition. In studying organic compounds mostly destructive
methods, such as flame atomic absorption or graphite furnace
atomic absorption, are used to determine the elemental
composition of a molecule.

Infrared Spectroscopy: Spectroscopy is used to determine the
presence or absence of functional groups to learn the chemical
nature of a molecule.

UV/VIS Spectroscopy: Ultraviolet-Visible spectrophotometry to
determine the nature of a compound. Spectrophotometry uses a
spectrophotometer to measure how much light is absorbed by the
sample.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR): NMR spectroscopy is one of
the most common methods to obtain the physical, chemical,
structural and electronic nature of a molecule. NMR works by
studying the magnetism of a nucleus by placing it in alignment
with a magnetic field, and then using an electromagnetic field
to disrupt this alignment.


About The Author: John Mclain is an expert author at
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