CHEMISTRY 5072/02 SYLLABUS

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

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Source of energy
0Y Natural Gas (mainly methane)
0Y £etroleum- A mixture of hydrocarbons

It is separated into the following useful fractions:


 



 
½uel in cars


½eedstock for the chemistry industry
 

½uel for heating and cooking and for
aircraft engines
 
Diesel engines

 
 
Source of polishes and waxes
 
Making road surfaces

Naphtha is the main source of hydrocarbons used for the production of a wide range of organic
compounds.

Given the finite quantity of fossil fuels, there are competing uses of crude oil as an energy source as
well as a chemical feedstock.

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0Y Alkanes are a homologous series as a group of compounds with a general formula, similar
chemical properties and showing a gradation in physical properties as a result of increase in
the size and mass of the molecules.
0Y An homologous series of saturated hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2

Name of ½ormula Structure of branched Structure of unbranched alkanes

Alkane of Alkane alkanes
Methane CH4 None

Ethane C 2H6 None

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 £ropane C 3H8 None

Butane C4H10

Isomerism- It is when two or more molecules have the same molecular formula, but different
structural formula. They may or may not have similar chemical properties depending on whether
they have the same functional groups.Y

Alkanes are saturated as they already possess the maximum number of hydrogen atoms that can be
added to the carbon chain. Hence, they are generally inert except when burnt and undergo
substitution by chlorine.
Combustion of alkane (Methane):
CH4 + 2O2 ĺ CO 2 + 2H2O
Substitution by chlorine:
yY Conditions: £resence of Ultra-violet light and a halogen reactant.
CH4 + Cl2 ĺ CH3Cl + HCl


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0Y Alkenes are a homologous series of unsaturated hydrocarbons with the general formula
CnH2n.





Name of ½ormula Structure of branched alkene Structure of unbranched alkenes
Alkene of
Alkene
Ethene C 2 H4 None

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 £ropene C 3 H6 None

Butene C 4 H8

Catalytic cracking of crude oil is a process in which longer-chain hydrocarbons are converted to
shorter-chain hydrocarbons and hydrogen gas, through the use of heat and a catalyst.
Conditions:
0Y 400°C to 600°C
0Y Al2O3 or SiO2 catalyst

The catalytic cracking of large hydrocarbons always produces an alkene with other possible by-
products such as alkanes and hydrogen.
Cracking of crude oil is essential because smaller fractions are in higher demand than larger fractions.
Hence, larger hydrocarbon molecules can be put through catalytic cracking to meet the high demand.

Saturated compounds have a C-C bond in their molecular structure while unsaturated compounds
have a C=C bond in their molecular structure.
When shook with brown aqueous bromine, alkanes do not decolourises bromine.
When shook with brown aqueous bromine, alkenes decolourises bromine.

Alkenes are generally reactive as they have a C=C bond.

They undergo:
0Y Combustion
0Y Addition reactions
yY Addition of hydrogen
yY Addition of steam
yY Addition of halogen
yY Addition polymerisation

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Combustion of alkenes: C2H4 + 3O2 ĺ 2CO2 + 2H2O
Addition of hydrogen: C2 H4 + H2 ĺ C2H6
Conditions:
0Y Hydrogen reactant
0Y Nickel catalyst
0Y 200°C
Addition of steam: C2 H4 + H2Oĺ C 2H5OH
Conditions:
0Y Steam reactant
0Y H3£O4 catalyst
0Y 300°C
0Y 60 atm

Addition of halogen: C2H4 + Br2ĺ C 2H4Br2

£olyunsaturated food means that the food contains more than one C=C bond in the food. Hence, they
are easier to be broken down.

Vegetable oils, which are liquids at room conditions, need to be solidified to make margarine. By the
addition of hydrogen, some C=C bonds are removed. This raises the melting point of the vegetable
oil, hence solidifying it.

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0Y Alcohols is a homologous series containing the ±OH functional group.



Name of ½ormula of Alcohol Structure of unbranched Alcohols
Alcohol
Methanol CH3OH

Ethanol C2H5OH

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 £ropanol C3H7OH

Butanol C4H9OH

Alcohols undergo:
0Y Combustion
£roducts: Carbon dioxide and Water Vapour
0Y Oxidation
£roducts: Carboxylic acids and water
Alcohols are able to oxidize into carboxylic acids in atmospheric oxygen or the presence of an
oxidizing agent.

Alcohols are formed through:

0Y Addition of steam to alkenes
0Y ½ermentation of glucose

Addition of steam: C2 H4 + H2O ĺ C2H5OH (With catalyst of H 3£O4)

½ermentation of glucose: C6H12O6 ĺ 2C2H5OH+ 2CO2

½ermentation is the conversion of glucose into ethanol with a yeast catalyst, a temperature of about
37°C and the absence of air and light

Uses of ethanol
0Y Solvent
0Y ½uel
0Y Constituent of alcoholic beverages

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0Y Carboxylic acids is a homologous series containing the ±COOH- functional group

Name of ½ormula of Carboxylic Structure of unbranched Carboxylic Acids

Carboxylic Acid Acids
Methanoic Acid HCOOH

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 Ethanoic Acid CH3COOH

£ropanoic Acid C2H5COOH

Butanoic Acid C3H7COOH

Carboxylic acids are weak acid as only a percentage of its acid molecules dissociates to
produce H+ ions when dissolved in water, leaving some carboxylic acid molecules
undissociated.
Carboxylic acids are able to react with carbonates, bases and some metals.

Ethanonic acid is formed by the oxidation of ethanol by atmospheric oxygen or acidified potassium
dichromate (VI).
Oxidation of ethanol: C2 H5OH + 2[O] ĺ CH 3COOH + H2O

Carboxylic acids (e.g. ethanoic acid) and alcohols (e.g. ethanol) can react together to form esters (e.g.
Ethyl ethanoate).
Esterification: CH3 COOH + C2H5OHĺ CH3COOC2H5

Commercial uses of esters

0Y £erfumes
0Y ½lavourings
0Y Solvents


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0Y Macromolecules are large molecules built up from small units, different macromolecules
having different units and/or different linkages.

Addition polymerization of ethene to form poly(ethene):

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 Many small unsaturated organic molecules of ethene combine with other ethane molecules to
form a large saturated macromolecule poly (ethene) as a single product.

Uses of poly(ethene):
0Y £lastic bags
0Y Clingflim





Nylon, a polyamide, and Terylene, a polyester, are condensation polymers as they are formed from
many small organic molecules which have combined together to form a large macromolecule with
the elimination of one inorganic molecule per linkage formed.

Uses of nylon and Terylene:

0Y Clothing
0Y Curtain
0Y Materials
0Y ½ishing line
0Y £arachutes
0Y Sleeping bags

Non-biodegradable plastics cannot decompose naturally and hence lead to land pollution and lack of
space when buried in landfills.

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