Organic Chemistry
Theory: 3 hours/week | Tutorials: 1 hours/week |Practicals: 2 hours/week | ECTS Units: 6
Learning outcomes
The main objective of the course is to provide first-year students with an understanding of the structure and chemical reactivity of the most important classes of organic compounds while emphasizing the generalized mechanisms that govern their reactions. Furthermore, the basic principles of stereochemistry are analyzed, to provide comprehension of the three-dimensional structure of organic molecules which determines their behavior in biological systems. Finally, the basic spectroscopic techniques applied to the identification and analysis of the structure of organic compounds are presented.
Upon completion of the course, students are expected to:
- be acquainted with the physical and chemical properties of important classes of organic compounds,
- recognize the stereochemical characteristics of organic molecules and predict their structure in space,
- to explain the chemical transformations of organic compounds based on the mechanisms of the reactions that occur,
- recognize the differences in structure and spatial arrangement between isomeric compounds and interpret the observed differences in their chemical behavior,
- determine the structure of simple organic molecules by combining available spectroscopic data,
- suggest appropriate routes for the synthesis of simple organic compounds.
Syllabus
- CHEMICAL BONDING AND STRUCTURE: Chemical bonds in organic compounds. Bonds and molecular properties.
- ELECTRONIC EFFECTS: Inductive effect. Resonance. Acidity and basicity of organic compounds.
- ALKANES – CYCLOALKANES: Stereochemistry. Conformations of organic molecules. Stereoisomerism: chirality, enantiomers and diastereomers. Geometrical isomerism.
- ALKENES – ALKYNES: Structure and methods of synthesis. Reactivity of π bonds: addition reactions, oxidative cleavage. Introduction to mechanisms of organic reactions.
- CONJUGATED DIENES: Structure and reactivity. 1,4-addition. Cycloaddition reactions.
- AROMATIC COMPOUNDS: Benzene and aromaticity. Electrophilic aromatic substitution.
- ALCOHOLS: Synthesis and chemical properties. Oxidation of organic compounds.
- ALKYL HALIDES: Reactivity. Substitution and elimination reactions.
- STRUCTURE ELUCIDATION OF ORGANIC MOLECULES: UV/VIS and IR spectroscopic methods. Mass spectrometry. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Laboratory Experiments
- Safety rules in a chemical laboratory. Reagents and solvents. Laboratory equipment.
- Basic laboratory techniques: stirring, heating, cooling, filtering, drying.
- Purification methods: a) extraction, b) simple distillation, c) fractional distillation, d) recrystallization, e) introduction to chromatography: thin layer chromatography and column chromatography.
Student performance evaluation
Final written exam including short answer questions and problem solving.
Suggested bibliography
- Organic Chemistry, L. G. Wade, 9th edition, Pearson, 2024.
- Organic Chemistry, M. Loudon, J. Parise, 7th edition, W. H. Freeman, 2021.
- Organic Chemistry, John Mc Murry, 9th edition, Cengage Learning, 2015.
- Organic Chemistry, F. A. Carey, 12th edition, McGraw Hill, 2023.
Related scientific journals:
- Journal of Organic Chemistry
- Organic Letters
- Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry
- European Journal of Organic Chemistry
Teaching Material / E-class
Lecturers
Dimitrios Komiotis (Course Coordinator)
