research studies on organic chemistry

Organic Chemistry

UNDERSTANDING CARBON-BASED SUBSTANCES AND DEVELOPING ECONOMIC, GREEN STRATEGIES TO PRODUCE USEFUL NEW MOLECULES, REACTIONS AND MATERIALS 

Stanford chemists are developing more efficient and sustainable chemistries by exploring the structure, properties and reactions of organic compounds and materials. New reagents and catalysts are enabling greener industrial processes. Growing understanding of natural product properties, activities and synthesis are leading to potential new therapeutics, in close collaborations with researchers in the School of Medicine. These cutting-edge efforts build on a strong departmental history in organic synthesis.

Organic Synthesis

Invention of new tools and methods make it possible to create complex molecules from simple starting materials, more rapidly and cost-efficiently. Stanford chemists are developing new methods to synthesize target molecules with  potential applications as novel catalysts, antibiotics and antitumor therapies ; atomically efficient methods to create new  transition-metal-based non-protein catalysts ; new  atom and group transfer-type reaction processes  for natural product synthesis and chemical biology; and novel approaches to the  design and synthesis of exotic small and giant molecules for custom properties . Elusive, selective reactions at the  boundaries of modern organic synthesis  take inspiration from natural products – and answer questions about their properties and activities.

Molecular Design

Stanford chemists are crafted designers of a wide variety of molecules for applications in chemical synthesis, materials science, and biomedicine. Advancements in synthetic capabilities and efficiency allow for freedom of molecular design. Stanford chemists are designing new reactions, catalysts, and reagents for more efficient, selective, and robust chemical transformations; new molecular strategies to develop more effective drugs; new imaging agents, optical reporters, and molecular delivery vehicles to allow integration of biological systems and delivery of therapeutics into cells; new classes of biological probes for the study of cell surface glycans; fluorescent probes of DNA repair enzymes in cells and tissues; and novel classes of unusual molecular and polymeric materials with tailored optical, electronic, thermal, and mechanical properties.

Green Chemistries

Using mechanistic principles to develop new catalytic strategies, Stanford chemists synthesize complex, useful macromolecular architectures,  including sustainable polymers, synthetic fuels, and bioactive molecules ;  and develop cost-efficient catalysts and chemical reactions that  recycle CO2 into fuels and commodity chemicals  using renewable energy sources. To understand and reproduce the remarkable specificity and energy efficiency of metalloenzymes, Stanford chemist are studying the mechanism of  dioxygen activation by  copper-containing enzymes.

Biomedicine

Stanford researchers are employing organic methods to  explore the roles of cell-surface sugars and glycosylation in health, aging and illness , including cancer; to study and engineer enzymatic assembly lines that catalyze the biosynthesis of antibiotics in bacteria; and to  design nucleotides with unusual properties  such as fluorescence, enzyme reactivity, or altered shape and bonding ability, as tools to study nucleotide function and potential new probes for cancer diagnosis.

Computer Modeling

Computer studies of target molecules with desirable properties are finding ways to create  functionally similar species that require fewer steps to synthesize  – a technique called function oriented design and synthesis.

Associated Faculty

Steven Banik

Carolyn Bertozzi

James K. Chen

Justin Du Bois

Matthew Kanan

Chaitan Khosla

Daniel Stack

Robert Waymouth

Paul Wender

Ace Your Next Organic Chemistry Exam.

With the moc membership.

1500+ Real-World exam quizzes

180+ Reactions and Mechanisms

200+ Downloadable Flashcards

Organic chemistry is awesome.

Over 400+ blog posts to guide you through introductory Organic Chemistry, organized by subject.

00 General Chemistry Review

• Lewis Structures
• Ionic and Covalent Bonding
• Chemical Kinetics
• Chemical Equilibria
• Valence Electrons of the First Row Elements
• How Concepts Build Up In Org 1 ("The Pyramid")

01 Bonding, Structure, and Resonance

• How Do We Know Methane (CH4) Is Tetrahedral?
• Hybrid Orbitals and Hybridization
• How To Determine Hybridization: A Shortcut
• Orbital Hybridization And Bond Strengths
• Sigma bonds come in six varieties: Pi bonds come in one
• A Key Skill: How to Calculate Formal Charge
• The Four Intermolecular Forces and How They Affect Boiling Points
• 3 Trends That Affect Boiling Points
• How To Use Electronegativity To Determine Electron Density (and why NOT to trust formal charge)
• Introduction to Resonance
• How To Use Curved Arrows To Interchange Resonance Forms
• Evaluating Resonance Forms (1) - The Rule of Least Charges
• How To Find The Best Resonance Structure By Applying Electronegativity
• Evaluating Resonance Structures With Negative Charges
• Evaluating Resonance Structures With Positive Charge
• Exploring Resonance: Pi-Donation
• Exploring Resonance: Pi-acceptors
• In Summary: Evaluating Resonance Structures
• Drawing Resonance Structures: 3 Common Mistakes To Avoid
• How to apply electronegativity and resonance to understand reactivity
• Bond Hybridization Practice
• Structure and Bonding Practice Quizzes
• Resonance Structures Practice

02 Acid Base Reactions

• Introduction to Acid-Base Reactions
• Acid Base Reactions In Organic Chemistry
• The Stronger The Acid, The Weaker The Conjugate Base
• Walkthrough of Acid-Base Reactions (3) - Acidity Trends
• Five Key Factors That Influence Acidity
• Acid-Base Reactions: Introducing Ka and pKa
• How to Use a pKa Table
• The pKa Table Is Your Friend
• A Handy Rule of Thumb for Acid-Base Reactions
• Acid Base Reactions Are Fast
• pKa Values Span 60 Orders Of Magnitude
• How Protonation and Deprotonation Affect Reactivity
• Acid Base Practice Problems

03 Alkanes and Nomenclature

• Meet the (Most Important) Functional Groups
• Condensed Formulas: Deciphering What the Brackets Mean
• Hidden Hydrogens, Hidden Lone Pairs, Hidden Counterions
• Don't Be Futyl, Learn The Butyls
• Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Quaternary In Organic Chemistry
• Branching, and Its Affect On Melting and Boiling Points
• The Many, Many Ways of Drawing Butane
• Wedge And Dash Convention For Tetrahedral Carbon
• Common Mistakes in Organic Chemistry: Pentavalent Carbon
• Table of Functional Group Priorities for Nomenclature
• Summary Sheet - Alkane Nomenclature
• Organic Chemistry IUPAC Nomenclature Demystified With A Simple Puzzle Piece Approach
• Boiling Point Quizzes
• Organic Chemistry Nomenclature Quizzes

04 Conformations and Cycloalkanes

• Staggered vs Eclipsed Conformations of Ethane
• Conformational Isomers of Propane
• Newman Projection of Butane (and Gauche Conformation)
• Introduction to Cycloalkanes (1)
• Geometric Isomers In Small Rings: Cis And Trans Cycloalkanes
• Calculation of Ring Strain In Cycloalkanes
• Cycloalkanes - Ring Strain In Cyclopropane And Cyclobutane
• Cyclohexane Conformations
• Cyclohexane Chair Conformation: An Aerial Tour
• How To Draw The Cyclohexane Chair Conformation
• The Cyclohexane Chair Flip
• The Cyclohexane Chair Flip - Energy Diagram
• Substituted Cyclohexanes - Axial vs Equatorial
• Ranking The Bulkiness Of Substituents On Cyclohexanes: "A-Values"
• Cyclohexane Chair Conformation Stability: Which One Is Lower Energy?
• Fused Rings - Cis-Decalin and Trans-Decalin
• Naming Bicyclic Compounds - Fused, Bridged, and Spiro
• Bredt's Rule (And Summary of Cycloalkanes)
• Newman Projection Practice
• Cycloalkanes Practice Problems

05 A Primer On Organic Reactions

• The Most Important Question To Ask When Learning a New Reaction
• Learning New Reactions: How Do The Electrons Move?
• The Third Most Important Question to Ask When Learning A New Reaction
• 7 Factors that stabilize negative charge in organic chemistry
• 7 Factors That Stabilize Positive Charge in Organic Chemistry
• Nucleophiles and Electrophiles
• Curved Arrows (for reactions)
• Curved Arrows (2): Initial Tails and Final Heads
• Nucleophilicity vs. Basicity
• The Three Classes of Nucleophiles
• What Makes A Good Nucleophile?
• What makes a good leaving group?
• 3 Factors That Stabilize Carbocations
• Equilibrium and Energy Relationships
• What's a Transition State?
• Hammond's Postulate
• Learning Organic Chemistry Reactions: A Checklist (PDF)
• Introduction to Free Radical Substitution Reactions
• Introduction to Oxidative Cleavage Reactions

06 Free Radical Reactions

• Bond Dissociation Energies = Homolytic Cleavage
• Free Radical Reactions
• 3 Factors That Stabilize Free Radicals
• What Factors Destabilize Free Radicals?
• Bond Strengths And Radical Stability
• Free Radical Initiation: Why Is "Light" Or "Heat" Required?
• Initiation, Propagation, Termination
• Monochlorination Products Of Propane, Pentane, And Other Alkanes
• Selectivity In Free Radical Reactions
• Selectivity in Free Radical Reactions: Bromination vs. Chlorination
• Halogenation At Tiffany's
• Allylic Bromination
• Bonus Topic: Allylic Rearrangements
• In Summary: Free Radicals
• Synthesis (2) - Reactions of Alkanes
• Free Radicals Practice Quizzes

07 Stereochemistry and Chirality

• Types of Isomers: Constitutional Isomers, Stereoisomers, Enantiomers, and Diastereomers
• How To Draw The Enantiomer Of A Chiral Molecule
• How To Draw A Bond Rotation
• Introduction to Assigning (R) and (S): The Cahn-Ingold-Prelog Rules
• Assigning Cahn-Ingold-Prelog (CIP) Priorities (2) - The Method of Dots
• Enantiomers vs Diastereomers vs The Same? Two Methods For Solving Problems
• Assigning R/S To Newman Projections (And Converting Newman To Line Diagrams)
• How To Determine R and S Configurations On A Fischer Projection
• The Meso Trap
• Optical Rotation, Optical Activity, and Specific Rotation
• Optical Purity and Enantiomeric Excess
• What's a Racemic Mixture?
• Chiral Allenes And Chiral Axes
• Stereochemistry Practice Problems and Quizzes

08 Substitution Reactions

• Introduction to Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions
• Walkthrough of Substitution Reactions (1) - Introduction
• Two Types of Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions
• The SN2 Mechanism
• Why the SN2 Reaction Is Powerful
• The SN1 Mechanism
• The Conjugate Acid Is A Better Leaving Group
• Comparing the SN1 and SN2 Reactions
• Polar Protic? Polar Aprotic? Nonpolar? All About Solvents
• Steric Hindrance is Like a Fat Goalie
• Common Blind Spot: Intramolecular Reactions
• The Conjugate Base is Always a Stronger Nucleophile
• Substitution Practice - SN1
• Substitution Practice - SN2

09 Elimination Reactions

• Elimination Reactions (1): Introduction And The Key Pattern
• Elimination Reactions (2): The Zaitsev Rule
• Elimination Reactions Are Favored By Heat
• Two Elimination Reaction Patterns
• The E1 Reaction
• The E2 Mechanism
• E1 vs E2: Comparing the E1 and E2 Reactions
• Antiperiplanar Relationships: The E2 Reaction and Cyclohexane Rings
• Bulky Bases in Elimination Reactions
• Comparing the E1 vs SN1 Reactions
• Elimination (E1) Reactions With Rearrangements
• E1cB - Elimination (Unimolecular) Conjugate Base
• Elimination (E1) Practice Problems And Solutions
• Elimination (E2) Practice Problems and Solutions

10 Rearrangements

• Introduction to Rearrangement Reactions
• Rearrangement Reactions (1) - Hydride Shifts
• Carbocation Rearrangement Reactions (2) - Alkyl Shifts
• Pinacol Rearrangement
• The SN1, E1, and Alkene Addition Reactions All Pass Through A Carbocation Intermediate

11 SN1/SN2/E1/E2 Decision

• Identifying Where Substitution and Elimination Reactions Happen
• Deciding SN1/SN2/E1/E2 (1) - The Substrate
• Deciding SN1/SN2/E1/E2 (2) - The Nucleophile/Base
• SN1 vs E1 and SN2 vs E2 : The Temperature
• Deciding SN1/SN2/E1/E2 - The Solvent
• Wrapup: The Key Factors For Determining SN1/SN2/E1/E2
• Alkyl Halide Reaction Map And Summary
• SN1 SN2 E1 E2 Practice Problems

12 Alkene Reactions

• E and Z Notation For Alkenes (+ Cis/Trans)
• Alkene Stability
• Alkene Addition Reactions: "Regioselectivity" and "Stereoselectivity" (Syn/Anti)
• Stereoselective and Stereospecific Reactions
• Hydrohalogenation of Alkenes and Markovnikov's Rule
• Hydration of Alkenes With Aqueous Acid
• Rearrangements in Alkene Addition Reactions
• Halogenation of Alkenes and Halohydrin Formation
• Oxymercuration Demercuration of Alkenes
• Hydroboration Oxidation of Alkenes
• m-CPBA (meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid)
• OsO4 (Osmium Tetroxide) for Dihydroxylation of Alkenes
• Palladium on Carbon (Pd/C) for Catalytic Hydrogenation of Alkenes
• Cyclopropanation of Alkenes
• A Fourth Alkene Addition Pattern - Free Radical Addition
• Alkene Reactions: Ozonolysis
• Summary: Three Key Families Of Alkene Reaction Mechanisms
• Synthesis (4) - Alkene Reaction Map, Including Alkyl Halide Reactions
• Alkene Reactions Practice Problems

13 Alkyne Reactions

• Acetylides from Alkynes, And Substitution Reactions of Acetylides
• Partial Reduction of Alkynes With Lindlar's Catalyst
• Partial Reduction of Alkynes With Na/NH3 To Obtain Trans Alkenes
• Alkyne Hydroboration With "R2BH"
• Hydration and Oxymercuration of Alkynes
• Hydrohalogenation of Alkynes
• Alkyne Halogenation: Bromination, Chlorination, and Iodination of Alkynes
• Alkyne Reactions - The "Concerted" Pathway
• Alkenes To Alkynes Via Halogenation And Elimination Reactions
• Alkynes Are A Blank Canvas
• Synthesis (5) - Reactions of Alkynes
• Alkyne Reactions Practice Problems With Answers

14 Alcohols, Epoxides and Ethers

• Alcohols - Nomenclature and Properties
• Alcohols Can Act As Acids Or Bases (And Why It Matters)
• Alcohols - Acidity and Basicity
• The Williamson Ether Synthesis
• Ethers From Alkenes, Tertiary Alkyl Halides and Alkoxymercuration
• Alcohols To Ethers via Acid Catalysis
• Cleavage Of Ethers With Acid
• Epoxides - The Outlier Of The Ether Family
• Opening of Epoxides With Acid
• Epoxide Ring Opening With Base
• Making Alkyl Halides From Alcohols
• Tosylates And Mesylates
• PBr3 and SOCl2
• Elimination Reactions of Alcohols
• Elimination of Alcohols To Alkenes With POCl3
• Alcohol Oxidation: "Strong" and "Weak" Oxidants
• Demystifying The Mechanisms of Alcohol Oxidations
• Protecting Groups For Alcohols
• Thiols And Thioethers
• Calculating the oxidation state of a carbon
• Oxidation and Reduction in Organic Chemistry
• Oxidation Ladders
• SOCl2 Mechanism For Alcohols To Alkyl Halides: SN2 versus SNi
• Alcohol Reactions Roadmap (PDF)
• Alcohol Reaction Practice Problems
• Epoxide Reaction Quizzes
• Oxidation and Reduction Practice Quizzes

15 Organometallics

• What's An Organometallic?
• Formation of Grignard and Organolithium Reagents
• Organometallics Are Strong Bases
• Reactions of Grignard Reagents
• Protecting Groups In Grignard Reactions
• Synthesis Problems Involving Grignard Reagents
• Grignard Reactions And Synthesis (2)
• Organocuprates (Gilman Reagents): How They're Made
• Gilman Reagents (Organocuprates): What They're Used For
• The Heck, Suzuki, and Olefin Metathesis Reactions (And Why They Don't Belong In Most Introductory Organic Chemistry Courses)
• Reaction Map: Reactions of Organometallics
• Grignard Practice Problems

16 Spectroscopy

• Degrees of Unsaturation (or IHD, Index of Hydrogen Deficiency)
• Conjugation And Color (+ How Bleach Works)
• Introduction To UV-Vis Spectroscopy
• UV-Vis Spectroscopy: Absorbance of Carbonyls
• UV-Vis Spectroscopy: Practice Questions
• Bond Vibrations, Infrared Spectroscopy, and the "Ball and Spring" Model
• Infrared Spectroscopy: A Quick Primer On Interpreting Spectra
• IR Spectroscopy: 4 Practice Problems
• 1H NMR: How Many Signals?
• Homotopic, Enantiotopic, Diastereotopic
• Diastereotopic Protons in 1H NMR Spectroscopy: Examples
• C13 NMR - How Many Signals
• Liquid Gold: Pheromones In Doe Urine
• Natural Product Isolation (1) - Extraction
• Natural Product Isolation (2) - Purification Techniques, An Overview
• Structure Determination Case Study: Deer Tarsal Gland Pheromone

17 Dienes and MO Theory

• What To Expect In Organic Chemistry 2
• Are these molecules conjugated?
• Conjugation And Resonance In Organic Chemistry
• Bonding And Antibonding Pi Orbitals
• Molecular Orbitals of The Allyl Cation, Allyl Radical, and Allyl Anion
• Pi Molecular Orbitals of Butadiene
• Reactions of Dienes: 1,2 and 1,4 Addition
• Thermodynamic and Kinetic Products
• More On 1,2 and 1,4 Additions To Dienes
• s-cis and s-trans
• The Diels-Alder Reaction
• Cyclic Dienes and Dienophiles in the Diels-Alder Reaction
• Stereochemistry of the Diels-Alder Reaction
• Exo vs Endo Products In The Diels Alder: How To Tell Them Apart
• HOMO and LUMO In the Diels Alder Reaction
• Why Are Endo vs Exo Products Favored in the Diels-Alder Reaction?
• Diels-Alder Reaction: Kinetic and Thermodynamic Control
• The Retro Diels-Alder Reaction
• The Intramolecular Diels Alder Reaction
• Regiochemistry In The Diels-Alder Reaction
• The Cope and Claisen Rearrangements
• Electrocyclic Reactions
• Electrocyclic Ring Opening And Closure (2) - Six (or Eight) Pi Electrons
• Diels Alder Practice Problems
• Molecular Orbital Theory Practice

18 Aromaticity

• Introduction To Aromaticity
• Rules For Aromaticity
• Huckel's Rule: What Does 4n+2 Mean?
• Aromatic, Non-Aromatic, or Antiaromatic? Some Practice Problems
• Antiaromatic Compounds and Antiaromaticity
• The Pi Molecular Orbitals of Benzene
• The Pi Molecular Orbitals of Cyclobutadiene
• Frost Circles
• Aromaticity Practice Quizzes

19 Reactions of Aromatic Molecules

• Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Introduction
• Activating and Deactivating Groups In Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution
• Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution - The Mechanism
• Ortho-, Para- and Meta- Directors in Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution
• Understanding Ortho, Para, and Meta Directors
• Why are halogens ortho- para- directors?
• Disubstituted Benzenes: The Strongest Electron-Donor "Wins"
• Electrophilic Aromatic Substitutions (1) - Halogenation of Benzene
• Electrophilic Aromatic Substitutions (2) - Nitration and Sulfonation
• EAS Reactions (3) - Friedel-Crafts Acylation and Friedel-Crafts Alkylation
• Intramolecular Friedel-Crafts Reactions
• Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution (NAS)
• Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution (2) - The Benzyne Mechanism
• Reactions on the "Benzylic" Carbon: Bromination And Oxidation
• The Wolff-Kishner, Clemmensen, And Other Carbonyl Reductions
• More Reactions on the Aromatic Sidechain: Reduction of Nitro Groups and the Baeyer Villiger
• Aromatic Synthesis (1) - "Order Of Operations"
• Synthesis of Benzene Derivatives (2) - Polarity Reversal
• Aromatic Synthesis (3) - Sulfonyl Blocking Groups
• Birch Reduction
• Synthesis (7): Reaction Map of Benzene and Related Aromatic Compounds
• Aromatic Reactions and Synthesis Practice
• Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Practice Problems

20 Aldehydes and Ketones

• What's The Alpha Carbon In Carbonyl Compounds?
• Nucleophilic Addition To Carbonyls
• Aldehydes and Ketones: 14 Reactions With The Same Mechanism
• Sodium Borohydride (NaBH4) Reduction of Aldehydes and Ketones
• Grignard Reagents For Addition To Aldehydes and Ketones
• Wittig Reaction
• Hydrates, Hemiacetals, and Acetals
• Imines - Properties, Formation, Reactions, and Mechanisms
• All About Enamines
• Breaking Down Carbonyl Reaction Mechanisms: Reactions of Anionic Nucleophiles (Part 2)
• Aldehydes Ketones Reaction Practice

21 Carboxylic Acid Derivatives

• Nucleophilic Acyl Substitution (With Negatively Charged Nucleophiles)
• Addition-Elimination Mechanisms With Neutral Nucleophiles (Including Acid Catalysis)
• Basic Hydrolysis of Esters - Saponification
• Transesterification
• Proton Transfer
• Fischer Esterification - Carboxylic Acid to Ester Under Acidic Conditions
• Lithium Aluminum Hydride (LiAlH4) For Reduction of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives
• LiAlH[Ot-Bu]3 For The Reduction of Acid Halides To Aldehydes
• Di-isobutyl Aluminum Hydride (DIBAL) For The Partial Reduction of Esters and Nitriles
• Amide Hydrolysis
• Thionyl Chloride (SOCl2)
• Diazomethane (CH2N2)
• Carbonyl Chemistry: Learn Six Mechanisms For the Price Of One
• Making Music With Mechanisms (PADPED)
• Carboxylic Acid Derivatives Practice Questions

22 Enols and Enolates

• Keto-Enol Tautomerism
• Enolates - Formation, Stability, and Simple Reactions
• Kinetic Versus Thermodynamic Enolates
• Aldol Addition and Condensation Reactions
• Reactions of Enols - Acid-Catalyzed Aldol, Halogenation, and Mannich Reactions
• Claisen Condensation and Dieckmann Condensation
• Decarboxylation
• The Malonic Ester and Acetoacetic Ester Synthesis
• The Michael Addition Reaction and Conjugate Addition
• The Robinson Annulation
• Haloform Reaction
• The Hell–Volhard–Zelinsky Reaction
• Enols and Enolates Practice Quizzes
• The Amide Functional Group: Properties, Synthesis, and Nomenclature
• Basicity of Amines And pKaH
• 5 Key Basicity Trends of Amines
• The Mesomeric Effect And Aromatic Amines
• Nucleophilicity of Amines
• Alkylation of Amines (Sucks!)
• Reductive Amination
• The Gabriel Synthesis
• Some Reactions of Azides
• The Hofmann Elimination
• The Hofmann and Curtius Rearrangements
• The Cope Elimination
• Protecting Groups for Amines - Carbamates
• The Strecker Synthesis of Amino Acids
• Introduction to Peptide Synthesis
• Reactions of Diazonium Salts: Sandmeyer and Related Reactions
• Amine Practice Questions

24 Carbohydrates

• D and L Notation For Sugars
• Pyranoses and Furanoses: Ring-Chain Tautomerism In Sugars
• What is Mutarotation?
• Reducing Sugars
• The Big Damn Post Of Carbohydrate-Related Chemistry Definitions
• The Haworth Projection
• Converting a Fischer Projection To A Haworth (And Vice Versa)
• Reactions of Sugars: Glycosylation and Protection
• The Ruff Degradation and Kiliani-Fischer Synthesis
• Isoelectric Points of Amino Acids (and How To Calculate Them)
• Carbohydrates Practice
• Amino Acid Quizzes

25 Fun and Miscellaneous

• A Gallery of Some Interesting Molecules From Nature
• Screw Organic Chemistry, I'm Just Going To Write About Cats
• On Cats, Part 1: Conformations and Configurations
• On Cats, Part 2: Cat Line Diagrams
• On Cats, Part 4: Enantiocats
• On Cats, Part 6: Stereocenters
• Organic Chemistry Is Shit
• The Organic Chemistry Behind "The Pill"
• Maybe they should call them, "Formal Wins" ?
• Why Do Organic Chemists Use Kilocalories?
• The Principle of Least Effort
• Organic Chemistry GIFS - Resonance Forms
• Reproducibility In Organic Chemistry
• What Holds The Nucleus Together?
• How Reactions Are Like Music
• Organic Chemistry and the New MCAT

26 Organic Chemistry Tips and Tricks

• Common Mistakes: Formal Charges Can Mislead
• Partial Charges Give Clues About Electron Flow
• Draw The Ugly Version First
• Organic Chemistry Study Tips: Learn the Trends
• The 8 Types of Arrows In Organic Chemistry, Explained
• Top 10 Skills To Master Before An Organic Chemistry 2 Final
• Common Mistakes with Carbonyls: Carboxylic Acids... Are Acids!
• Planning Organic Synthesis With "Reaction Maps"
• Alkene Addition Pattern #1: The "Carbocation Pathway"
• Alkene Addition Pattern #2: The "Three-Membered Ring" Pathway
• Alkene Addition Pattern #3: The "Concerted" Pathway
• Number Your Carbons!
• The 4 Major Classes of Reactions in Org 1
• How (and why) electrons flow
• Grossman's Rule
• Three Exam Tips
• A 3-Step Method For Thinking Through Synthesis Problems
• Putting It Together
• Putting Diels-Alder Products in Perspective
• The Ups and Downs of Cyclohexanes
• The Most Annoying Exceptions in Org 1 (Part 1)
• The Most Annoying Exceptions in Org 1 (Part 2)
• The Marriage May Be Bad, But the Divorce Still Costs Money
• 9 Nomenclature Conventions To Know
• Nucleophile attacks Electrophile

27 Case Studies of Successful O-Chem Students

• Success Stories: How Corina Got The The "Hard" Professor - And Got An A+ Anyway
• How Helena Aced Organic Chemistry
• From a "Drop" To B+ in Org 2 – How A Hard Working Student Turned It Around
• How Serge Aced Organic Chemistry
• Success Stories: How Zach Aced Organic Chemistry 1
• Success Stories: How Kari Went From C– to B+
• How Esther Bounced Back From a "C" To Get A's In Organic Chemistry 1 And 2
• How Tyrell Got The Highest Grade In Her Organic Chemistry Course
• This Is Why Students Use Flashcards
• Success Stories: How Stu Aced Organic Chemistry
• How John Pulled Up His Organic Chemistry Exam Grades
• Success Stories: How Nathan Aced Organic Chemistry (Without It Taking Over His Life)
• How Chris Aced Org 1 and Org 2
• Interview: How Jay Got an A+ In Organic Chemistry
• How to Do Well in Organic Chemistry: One Student's Advice
• "America's Top TA" Shares His Secrets For Teaching O-Chem
• "Organic Chemistry Is Like..." - A Few Metaphors
• How To Do Well In Organic Chemistry: Advice From A Tutor
• Guest post: "I went from being afraid of tests to actually looking forward to them".

See what’s inside

Always rigorous....

Often Irreverent...

Occasionally Profane

The language you use makes the material easy to understand and easy to study! Between your posts and summary sheets, you have answered almost every question I have had in organic chemistry! MOC is such a lifesaver (and grade-saver)!

Cincinnati Public High School

I am a high school teacher in Cincinnati. I always start my class on MOC.

University of Pittsburgh

MOC was my best friend this past semester. Wouldn’t have gotten an A- without it.

Utah State University

I love everything I've used so far. I used the reaction guide for O Chem 1, and it saved my butt.

California State University Long Beach

This website has become my savior. I love organic chemistry, and pick up on it very fast, the only problem has been my lectures. Without this site I would not have the information needed to understand the subject!

Courtney E.

Central Washington University

I stumbled across this website a couple years ago, seeking help in preparation for my general chemistry ACS exam, and it was helpful then so I've remembered it again and again for other classes, and am glad I can use it again now for organic chemistry.

Colorado State University

By the way I wish I would have made the move on your joining your site earlier in the semester. It would have made things a little bit easier. I joined about 2 weeks before finals and ended up getting an A in the class!

Wayne State University

Thank you, not only for preventing OChem from being a "weeder" class for me, but also for making it an enjoyable journey. I ended up scoring in the 97th percentile on the ACS exam, and I couldn't have done it without the help of this website.

Penn State University

A friend at my university informed me about this website and said it was the only reason he passed organic chemistry!

Christian M.

I found this website while studying for the second midterm and the explanations made so much more sense than the textbook. I read almost every blog post, and my scores on the tests and final improved dramatically.

Wright State University

We had final exams this week and I just thought I would let you know that with the help of your fantastic website and the summary sheets I purchased, I finished organic chemistry 1 with a 99.5 average . Classmates were upset with me for being the curve buster. I blamed it on you and derected many of them to check out your website!

Lee University

I made an A in my Organic 2 class - this website was an invaluable resource!! Thanks so much.

TaraRochfordNutrition.com

The study materials on MOC were a lifesaver. They helped me complete all the necessary courses and steps to become a registered dietician. Thank you so much!

Virginia Commonwealth University

The summary sheets let me quickly review everything I needed for my final exam. I was able to score a 54/70 on a final where the class average was 20/70.

Binghampton U.

These guides are awesome. Clear and concise. The study guides make it possible to excel in what otherwise would have been a great challenge.

Manuel E. (with Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne)

East Los Angeles College

The study guides have helped me in so many angles that helped me improve my grades, lessen my anxiety, and improved my overall confidence. Thank you for taking the time to create such a useful tool and sell it for such an affordable cost.

LaMar University

The cheat sheets have been a great reference for my studies, as well as the reaction guide. Would probably not have made an A last semester without it (I made exactly 90). I did it with the more difficult organic professor too!

Saint Louis University

I had a test for orgo in exactly one week. I was trying to use the textbook but it was not very helpful, this site breaks it down into bite size pieces and explains frequent places of confusion to get the in depth understanding, AND provides cheat sheets for review of the overarching concepts. This is just awesome.

McMurdo Station, Antarctica

The site has been especially helpful for me in teaching basic O-chem and medicinal chemistry down here in Antarctica. (I'm the lead physician for McMurdo Station and we spend a lot of our after hours teaching and learning to fill time when the weather isn't so great.) From the bottom of the world - thanks!

Thank you so much for such an awesome site! This is the reason I got an A in ochem one and two! Thank you!

Michelle T.

Simon Fraser University

Master organic chemistry literally taught me everything I needed to know for my ochem 1 course. I just wish I found it earlier! Would've helped me so much on my midterm.

University of Connecticut

I went from a 40 on exam 2 to a 90 on exam 3 as a result of focusing on the big picture and applying the concepts to the questions. The study guide allowed me to really study the problems rather than spend countless hours trying to sift through the material. I also ended up with a B+ in the class!

University of South Florida

Thank you so much for this service! I finished Orgo 2 with a B+ because of these guides!

Florida Atlantic U.

Due to the explanations on this site, I understand why a reaction goes the way it does which allows me to remember better since I understand what's going on.

Cal State East Bay

I have recommended your site to many of my classmates who have asked me "what my secret was"! Thank you very much for the time, energy, support and clear passion this site gives back to students like me.

West Chester University

I recently purchased the organic chemistry guide. I finally understand why things are doing what they are doing. I wish I would've had this numerous organic chemistry attempts ago.

St. Joseph's University

I'm a biologist who has worked in chem labs most of my career. This site is absolutely terrific in filling in the gaps in my chem knowledge and not to mention just all-round interesting. Keep up the good work!

University of Buffalo

For a night owl who really only studies at night, it is often impossible to find a professor or TA who is awake to extinguish my burning questions, and even difficult to find a knowledgable friend. This site is that friend.

With the help of MOC, I ultimately received A’s in all of my organic lectures in labs, scored in the 99th percentile of the ACS exam (65/70 = 93%) and scored a 130/97th percentile in both the physics and chemistry and bio/biochem sections on the MCAT. Thank you.

Chemistry Olympiad

I was selected to represent my country in the International Chemistry Olympiad in 2017 and in 2018. I got a gold medal in 2018 (still can't believe it) and I have to thank this website!

Case Studies Of Successful Students

Last semester I had the pleasure of working with “Chris” (a pseudonym) on second-semester organic chemistry topics. Before we met, Chris had already obtained a

How Helena Got 93 In Organic Chemistry An Australian reader, Helena, recently wrote to say she’d earned a 93 in her organic chemistry class as

Over the past few weeks I’ve been corresponding with loyal reader Serge, who was happy to report to me recently that his exam grades are

From The Blog

Spectroscopy and synthesis quizzes, 350 examples of classic org 1/org 2 reactions from “organic syntheses”.

Organic Chemistry GIFS – Resonance Forms

James Ashenhurst

Founder, master organic chemistry.

After doing a Ph. D. in organic synthesis at McGill and a postdoc at MIT, I applied for faculty positions at universities during the Great Recession. It didn’t work out. But having seen first-hand how many people struggled with the subject (including myself when I took it as an undergraduate) I thought there was a need for an online organic chemistry resource that had all the rigor of a traditional textbook, but was more approachable and accessible.

Drawing on the experience of thousands of hours spent tutoring students 1-on-1, as well as dozens of case studies, Master Organic Chemistry aims to fill in some of the conceptual gaps that aren’t traditionally covered by textbooks, and provide a friendly, logical and thorough pathway for learning introductory organic chemistry.

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center
• Introduction

Areas of specialization

Organic compounds in nature, synthesis of organic compounds.

organic chemistry

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Southern Illinois University Edwardsville - Introduction to Organic chemistry
• American Chemical Society - Division of the History of Chemistry - A Future of Selectivity in Organic Chemistry: Whence, Where, and Whither?
• American Chemical Society - Organic Chemistry
• Quatr.us - Organic Chemistry
• Chemistry LibreTexts - Organic Chemistry
• organic chemistry - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
• Table Of Contents

organic chemistry , field of science concerned with the composition , properties, and structure of chemical elements and compounds that contain carbon atoms . Carbon is unique in the variety and extent of structures that can result from the three-dimensional connections of its atoms.

Organic chemistry is the largest area of specialization among the various fields of chemistry . It derives its name from the fact that in the 19th century most of the carbon compounds then known were considered to have originated in living organisms. When combined with variable amounts of hydrogen , oxygen , nitrogen , sulfur , phosphorus , or other elements, the structural possibilities of carbon compounds become limitless. Indeed, their number far exceeds the total of all nonorganic compounds.

The development of structural organic chemistry was one of the great achievements of 19th-century science, providing an essential basis for the field of biochemistry . The elucidation of the chemical transformations undergone by organic compounds within living cells was a central problem of biochemistry. The determination of the molecular structure of the organic substances present in living cells was necessary to the study of cellular mechanisms. Physical organic chemistry focuses on the correlation of the physical and chemical properties of organic compounds with their structural features.

A major focus of organic chemistry is the isolation, purification, and structural study of naturally occurring substances, since many natural products are simple organic molecules. Simple carbon-containing compounds produced by photosynthesis —the process by which carbon dioxide and water are converted to oxygen and compounds known as carbohydrates —form the raw material for the myriad organic compounds found in the plant and animal kingdoms. Such compounds include formic acid (HCO 2 H) in ants , ethyl alcohol (C 2 H 5 OH) in fermenting fruit , and oxalic acid (C 2 H 2 O 4 ) in rhubarb leaves.

Other natural products, such as penicillin , vitamin B 12 , proteins , and nucleic acids , are exceedingly complex. The isolation of pure natural products from their host organism is made difficult by the low concentrations in which they may be present. Once such products are isolated in their pure form, however, modern instrumental techniques can reveal structural details for amounts weighing as little as one-millionth of a gram.

Once the properties endowed upon a substance by specific structural units called functional groups are known, it becomes possible to design novel molecules that may exhibit desired properties. The preparation, under controlled laboratory conditions, of specific compounds is known as synthetic chemistry . Some products are easier to synthesize than to collect and purify from their natural sources. For example, large amounts of vitamin C are synthesized annually. Many synthetic substances have novel properties that make them especially useful. Plastics are a prime example, as are many drugs and agricultural chemicals.

A continuing challenge for synthetic chemists is the structural complexity of most organic substances. To synthesize a desired compound , the atoms must be pieced together in the correct order and with the proper three-dimensional relationships. A fixed number of atoms can be connected in various ways to produce different molecules. However, only one structural arrangement out of the many possibilities will be identical with a naturally occurring molecule . For example, a molecule of the antibiotic erythromycin contains 37 carbon, 67 hydrogen, and 13 oxygen atoms along with 1 nitrogen atom . Even when joined together in the proper order, these 118 atoms can give rise to 262,144 different structures, only one of which has the characteristics of natural erythromycin.

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts

Organic chemistry articles within Scientific Reports

Article 10 September 2024 | Open Access

Synthesis of dicholesteryl organogelator as a green sorbent nanomaterial for oil spill remediation

• Faride Googol
•  &  Abbas Rahmati

Article 24 August 2024 | Open Access

Practical preparation of unsaturated very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) and very-long-chain alkene pollinator attractants

• Björn Bohman
• , Aylin J. Bersch
•  &  Philipp M. Schlüter

Article 22 August 2024 | Open Access

Biocatalytic synthesis of oxa(thia)diazole aryl thioethers

• Donya Mottaghi Amlashi
• , Sepideh Mobini
•  &  Maryam Yousefi

Article 13 August 2024 | Open Access

Catalyzed syntheses of novel series of spiro thiazolidinone derivatives with nano Fe 2 O 3 : spectroscopic, X-ray, Hirshfeld surface, DFT, biological and docking evaluations

• Eslam M. Abbass
• , Ali El-Rayyes
•  &  Ramadan M. Ramadan

Article 23 July 2024 | Open Access

Magnetic curcumin–copper graphene oxide as facile and recyclable heterogeneous nanocatalyst for preparation of polyhydroquinolines and sulfoxides

• Alireza Gharehkhani
•  &  Maryam Hajjami

Article 22 July 2024 | Open Access

Assessing the accuracy and efficacy of multiscale computational methods in predicting reaction mechanisms and kinetics of S N 2 reactions and Claisen rearrangement

• Maryam Haji Dehabadi
• , Hamid Saidi
•  &  Mehdi Irani

Article 18 July 2024 | Open Access

Real samples sensitive dopamine sensor based on poly 1,3-benzothiazol-2-yl((4-carboxlicphenyl)hydrazono)acetonitrile on a glassy carbon electrode

• Hesham M. Alsoghier
• , Mohamed Abd-Elsabour
•  &  Hytham F. Assaf

Article 16 July 2024 | Open Access

Sustainable removal of tetracycline and paracetamol from water using magnetic activated carbon derived from pine fruit waste

• Farzad Hashemzadeh
• , Maryam Ariannezhad
•  &  Seyed Hamed Derakhshandeh

A new leaf essential oil from the Andean species Gynoxys szyszylowiczii Hieron. of southern Ecuador: chemical and enantioselective analyses

• Yessenia E. Maldonado
• , Omar Malagón
•  &  Gianluca Gilardoni

Article 06 July 2024 | Open Access

A recirculating device of cooling water powered by solar energy for the laboratory

• , Wenhao Deng
•  &  Yongge Wei

Article 27 June 2024 | Open Access

Synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidines and octahydroquinazolinones by SBA-15 supported schiff-base iron (III) complex as durable and reusable catalyst under ultrasound irradiation

• Zeynab Balali
• , Javad Safaei-Ghomi
•  &  Elahe Mashhadi

Article 26 June 2024 | Open Access

Tailoring topology and bio-interactions of triazine frameworks

• Sara Bagheri
• , Mohsen Adeli
•  &  Siamak Beyranvand

Article 20 June 2024 | Open Access

Enhancing structural diversity through chemical engineering of Ambrosia tenuifolia extract for novel anti-glioblastoma compounds

• Tonino G. Adessi
• , Paula M. Wagner
•  &  Manuela E. García

Article 15 June 2024 | Open Access

Prolonged corrosion protection via application of 4-ferrocenylbutyl saturated carboxylate ester derivatives with superior inhibition performance for mild steel

• Hajar Jamali
• , Saleh Moradi-Alavian
•  &  Reza Teimuri-Mofrad

Article 08 June 2024 | Open Access

Synthesis of homologous series of surfactants from renewable resources, structure–properties relationship, surface active performance, evaluation of their antimicrobial and anticancer potentialities

• Shimaa A. Abdelaziz
• , Entesar M. Ahmed
•  &  M. Sadek

Article 06 June 2024 | Open Access

New sulfonamide-based glycosides incorporated 1,2,3-triazole as cytotoxic agents through VEGFR-2 and carbonic anhydrase inhibitory activity

• Hebat-Allah S. Abbas
• , Eman S. Nossier
•  &  Mohamed N. El-Bayaa

Article 31 May 2024 | Open Access

The complexometric behavior of selected aroyl- S , N -ketene acetals shows that they are more than AIEgens

• Lukas Biesen
•  &  Thomas J. J. Müller

Article 29 May 2024 | Open Access

Nanomaterials functionalized acidic ionic organosilica as highly active catalyst in the selective synthesis of benzimidazole via dehydrogenative coupling of diamines and alcohols

• Fatemeh Rajabi
•  &  Afsaneh Feiz

Article 27 May 2024 | Open Access

Ultrasound-assisted Cu(II) Strecker-functionalized organocatalyst for green azide–alkyne cycloaddition and Ullmann reactions

• Mahyar Aghajani
•  &  Minoo Dabiri

Article 25 May 2024 | Open Access

Palladium doped PDA-coated hercynite as a highly efficient catalyst for mild hydrogenation of nitroareness

• Somaye Beheshti
• , Alireza Motavalizadehkakhky
•  &  Ehsan Zahedi

Article 21 May 2024 | Open Access

Py-CoMFA, docking, and molecular dynamics simulations of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis arginase inhibitors

• Priscila Goes Camargo
• , Carine Ribeiro dos Santos
•  &  Camilo Henrique da Silva Lima

Article 16 May 2024 | Open Access

One-pot synthesis of quinazolinone heterocyclic compounds using functionalized SBA-15 with natural material ellagic acid as a novel nanocatalyst

• Nazanin Mohassel Yazdi
•  &  Mohammad Reza Naimi-Jamal

Article 08 May 2024 | Open Access

A green, facile, and practical preparation of capsaicin derivatives with thiourea structure

• , Zhenhua Gao
•  &  Yongbiao Guo

Synthesis of chiral Cu(II) complexes from pro-chiral Schiff base ligand and investigation of their catalytic activity in the asymmetric synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles

• Fatemeh Ajormal
• , Rahman Bikas
•  &  Anna Kozakiewicz-Piekarz

Article 06 May 2024 | Open Access

Measurement of the reaction enthalpy of CO 2 in aqueous solutions with thermographic and gravimetric methods

• Jessica Jung-Fittkau
• , Josef Diebold
•  &  Magnus S. Schmidt

Synthesis and in silico inhibitory action studies of azo-anchored imidazo[4,5- b ]indole scaffolds against the COVID-19 main protease (M pro )

• Deepika Geedkar
• , Ashok Kumar
•  &  Pratibha Sharma

Article 03 May 2024 | Open Access

Fabrication and characterization of a new eco-friendly sulfonamide-chitosan derivative with enhanced antimicrobial and selective cytotoxicity properties

• Ahmed G. Ibrahim
• , Ahmed G. Hamodin
•  &  Walid E. Elgammal

Article 26 April 2024 | Open Access

Synthesis, bioactivity assessment, molecular docking and ADMET studies of new chromone congeners exhibiting potent anticancer activity

• Heba M. Abo-Salem
• , Sahar S. M. El Souda
•  &  Nagwa M. Fawzy

Article 16 April 2024 | Open Access

Convenient and efficient N -methylation of secondary amines under solvent-free ball milling conditions

• Mikołaj Walter
• , Olga Ciupak
•  &  Sebastian Demkowicz

Efficient synthesis of benzoacridines and indenoquinolines catalyzed by acidic magnetic dendrimer

• Mohammad Ali Bodaghifard
• , Hanieh Allahbakhshi
•  &  Rezvan Ahangarani-Farahani

Article 11 April 2024 | Open Access

Metallosalen modified carbon nitride a versatile and reusable catalyst for environmentally friendly aldehyde oxidation

• Reza Eskandari Sedighi
• , Mahdi Behzad
•  &  Najmedin Azizi

The rapid synthesis of 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-diimine (Phendiimine) and its fascinating photo-stimulated behavior

• Ghasem Marandi
•  &  Ali Hassanzadeh

Article 08 April 2024 | Open Access

Synthesis and characterization of an innovative sodium alginate/polyvinyl alcohol bioartificial hydrogel for forward-osmosis desalination

• Menatalla Ashraf Saad
• , Eman Radi Sadik
•  &  Taghreed Mohamed Mohamed Zewail

Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 @CSH + VO 3 − as a novel recyclable heterogeneous catalyst with core–shell structure for oxidation of sulfides

• Ula Zuhair Ismael Al-Zubaidi
• , Kiumars Bahrami
•  &  Minoo Khodamorady

Article 05 April 2024 | Open Access

Benign synthesis of terpene-based 1,4- p -menthane diamine

• Jonas O. Wenzel
• , Luis Santos Correa
•  &  Michael A. R. Meier

Article 02 April 2024 | Open Access

Stable diesel microemulsion using diammonium ionic liquids and their effects on fuel properties, particle size characteristics and combustion calculations

• H. A. El Nagy
•  &  Mahmoud Abd El-Aziz Mohamed

Phytochemical exploration of Neolitsea pallens leaves using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS approach

• Nisha Thakur
• , K. Murali
•  &  V. K. Varshney

Article 31 March 2024 | Open Access

Design, synthesis and bioactivity study on oxygen-heterocyclic-based pyran analogues as effective P -glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance in MCF-7/ADR cell

• Ashraf H. F. Abd El-Wahab
• , Rita M. A. Borik
•  &  Ahmed M. El-Agrody

Article 28 March 2024 | Open Access

ZnFe 2 O 4 @SiO 2 @L-lysine@SO 3 H: preparation, characterization, and its catalytic applications in the oxidation of sulfides and synthesis of Bis(pyrazolyl)methanes

• Amir Ghanbarpour
• , Arash Ghorbani-Choghamarani
•  &  Ahmad Jafari

Article 26 March 2024 | Open Access

Synthesis of castor oil/PEG as textile softener

• H. M. Fahmy
•  &  A. Amr

Direct additive-free N -formylation and N -acylation of anilines and synthesis of urea derivatives using green, efficient, and reusable deep eutectic solvent ([ChCl][ZnCl 2 ] 2 )

• Fatemeh Abbasi
•  &  Ali Reza Sardarian

Article 18 March 2024 | Open Access

De novo antioxidant peptide design via machine learning and DFT studies

• Parsa Hesamzadeh
• , Abdolvahab Seif
•  &  Hamid Saeidian

Article 15 March 2024 | Open Access

Synthesis of novel organophosphorus compounds via reaction of substituted 2-oxoindoline-3-ylidene with acetylenic diesters and triphenylphosphine or triphenyl phosphite

• Mahsa Najafi
•  &  Ghasem Marandi

Article 14 March 2024 | Open Access

Design, synthesis and in vitro anticancer activity of some new lomefloxacin derivatives

• Mina E. Adly
• , Ehab M. Gedawy
•  &  Omneya M. Khalil

Article 11 March 2024 | Open Access

Antifungal activity of Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 /Schiff-base/Cu(II) magnetic nanoparticles against pathogenic Candida species

• Sedigheh Azadi
• , Esmat Azizipour
•  &  Sareh Mosleh-Shirazi

Article 21 February 2024 | Open Access

Electrochemical generation of phenothiazin-5-ium. A sustainable strategy for the synthesis of new bis(phenylsulfonyl)-10 H -phenothiazine derivatives

• Niloofar Mohamadighader
• , Faezeh Zivari-Moshfegh
•  &  Davood Nematollahi

Article 20 February 2024 | Open Access

Bentonite as eco-friendly natural mineral support for Pd/CoFe 2 O 4 catalyst applied in toluene diamine synthesis

• Alpár F. Hatvani-Nagy
• , Viktória Hajdu
•  &  László Vanyorek

Article 16 February 2024 | Open Access

Polypyrrole-wool composite with electrical heating properties fabricated via layer-by-layer method

Article 11 February 2024 | Open Access

Crystal structures, phase transitions, thermodynamics, and molecular dynamics of organic–inorganic hybrid crystal [NH(CH 3 ) 3 ] 2 ZnCl 4

• A Young Kim
• , Changyub Na
•  &  Ae Ran Lim

Article 01 February 2024 | Open Access

Vitamin B5 copper conjugated triazine dendrimer improved the visible-light photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 nanoparticles for aerobic homocoupling reactions

• Samira Zamenraz
• , Maasoumeh Jafarpour
•  &  Abdolreza Rezaeifard

Browse broader subjects

Browse narrower subjects.

• Carbohydrate chemistry
• Combinatorial libraries
• Synthetic chemistry methodology
• Microwave chemistry
• Natural product synthesis
• Reaction mechanisms
• Stereochemistry
• Structure elucidation

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Why This Chapter?

Chapter contents.

1 • Why This Chapter?

We’ll ease into the study of organic chemistry by first reviewing some ideas about atoms, bonds, and molecular geometry that you may recall from your general chemistry course. Much of the material in this chapter and the next is likely to be familiar to you, but it’s nevertheless a good idea to make sure you understand it before moving on.

What is organic chemistry, and why should you study it? The answers to these questions are all around you. Every living organism is made of organic chemicals. The proteins that make up your hair, skin, and muscles; the DNA that controls your genetic heritage; the foods that nourish you; and the medicines that heal you are all organic chemicals. Anyone with a curiosity about life and living things, and anyone who wants to be a part of the remarkable advances taking place in medicine and the biological sciences, must first understand organic chemistry. Look at the following drawings for instance, which show the chemical structures of some molecules whose names might be familiar to you. Although the drawings may appear unintelligible at this point, don’t worry. They’ll make perfectly good sense before long, and you’ll soon be drawing similar structures for any substance you’re interested in.

Historically, the term organic chemistry dates to the mid-1700s, when it was used to mean the chemistry of substances found in living organisms. Little was known about chemistry at that time, and the behavior of the “organic” substances isolated from plants and animals seemed different from that of the “inorganic” substances found in minerals. Organic compounds were generally low-melting solids and were usually more difficult to isolate, purify, and work with than high-melting inorganic compounds.

By the mid-1800s, however, it was clear that there was no fundamental difference between organic and inorganic compounds. The only distinguishing characteristic of organic compounds is that all contain the element carbon.

Organic chemistry , then, is the study of carbon compounds. But why is carbon special? Why, of the more than 197 million presently known chemical compounds, do almost all of them contain carbon? The answers to these questions come from carbon’s electronic structure and its consequent position in the periodic table ( Figure 1.2 ). As a group 4A element, carbon can share four valence electrons and form four strong covalent bonds. Furthermore, carbon atoms can bond to one another, forming long chains and rings. Carbon, alone of all elements, is able to form an immense diversity of compounds, from the simple methane, with one carbon atom, to the staggeringly complex DNA, which can have more than 100 million carbons.

Not all carbon compounds are derived from living organisms, however. Modern chemists have developed a remarkably sophisticated ability to design and synthesize new organic compounds in the laboratory—medicines, dyes, polymers, and a host of other substances. Organic chemistry touches the lives of everyone. Its study can be a fascinating undertaking.

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/organic-chemistry/pages/1-why-this-chapter

• Authors: John McMurry, Professor Emeritus
• Publisher/website: OpenStax
• Book title: Organic Chemistry
• Publication date: Sep 20, 2023
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/organic-chemistry/pages/1-why-this-chapter
• Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/organic-chemistry/pages/1-why-this-chapter

© Aug 5, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.

Study Guide for Coppola's Organic Chemistry

Structure and Reactivity: An Introduction to Organic Chemistry

Study Guide materials to accompany “Structure and Reactivity: An Introduction to Organic Chemistry” by Brian P Coppola (First Edition: Second Printing; Van Griner Learning, 2023), Books A-D .

CHEM 210 Structure & Reactivity I CH 1-3 (Book A) Exam 1 CH 4-6 (Book A) Exam 2 CH 7-9 (Book B) Exam 3 CH 1-10 (Books A/B) Exam 4

CHEM 215 Structure & Reactivity II CH 10-11 (Book C) Exam 5 CH 12-13 (Book C) Exam 6 CH 15-17 (Book D) Exam 7 CH 11-17, 19.5-19.6 (Books C/D) Exam 8*

* The end of CHEM 215 (after CH 17) is customizable to the interests of the instructor(s) in a given term. Possible topics are: enzyme mechanisms (CH 18), stereoselectivity in organic reactions (CH 19.1-19.2), organometallic catalysis (CH 19.3-19.4), radical chemistry (19.5-19.6), and pericyclic reactions (CH 20).

Nine appendices include: General Chemistry overview, nomenclature (including stereochemical descriptors), and spectroscopy/spectrometry

These books were constructed around the depth, breadth, and pacing of the U-M course. Each section in a chapter corresponds roughly to a day of class. Each section of the text is followed by a set of relevant, open-response questions. The books themselves are designed to be as consumable as crossword puzzle books – formatted and constructed with the active user in mind.

This site captures full semesters from the period 2021-2023 as representative examples, and contains a repository of materials commonly associated with the courses as they are taught at U-M by the author. The menus are organized by block of lectures and chapter sections for each examination. The pulldown lists the links to each class period and ends with the exam. A set of essays about learning in the courses is also included here.

The links for each class period contain: (a) the reference to the class day (b) the reference to the book (c) a link to the Lecture Capture video of the class day (d) an image of the board (download for better resolution, file size for high res is too large) (e) a “problem of the day” (POD) that should be do-able within a day of its assignment (f) ending each typical week, a “thinking in blue” illustrates what lurks beneath an answer

Individual copies can be purchased through the book dealer serving the University of Michigan: Barnes and Noble . The Book A/B bundle is used by CHEM 210 Structure & Reactivity I (ISBN 978-1-64565-276-2), the Book C/D bundle is used by CHEM 215 Structure & Reactivity II (ISBN 978-1-64565-279-3).

For adoptions by institutions, the author licenses the text for printing and distribution through Van Griner Learning. Contact me directly for more information (bcoppola .at. umich.edu).

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Happiness Hub Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• Happiness Hub
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications

How to Study Organic Chemistry Effectively

Last Updated: January 16, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Bess Ruff, MA . Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 71,123 times.

Organic chemistry consists of the study of organic molecules, including their formations, reactions, mechanisms of reactions, product formation, and uses. [1] X Trustworthy Source American Chemical Society Scientific society for those involved with chemistry and publisher of several leading peer-reviewed scientific journals Go to source Most of the compounds studied in organic chemistry contain at least one carbon-hydrogen bond. While organic chemistry can be very difficult, you can make it easier with some basic strategies such as knowing the types of reactions and how they occur and using a 3D modeling kit to work out the chemical structures. There are several occupations that require knowledge of organic chemistry, including doctors, forensic scientists, pharmacologists, and chemical engineers.

Studying Organic Chemistry

• When you come across a compound, draw the structure for it.
• Read through the notes before class every day so that you will know what is coming up.

• Getting extra help from a one-on-one tutor can also be beneficial if you are really struggling.

• You don’t have to number the carbons for proper labeling, just number them so you know how many there are and you can put them in the correct position in the products.

• As the pKa of an acid increases, the stability of the conjugate base increases.
• As the polarity of a molecule increases, the boiling point increases.
• When you increase the chain length of a hydrocarbon, the boiling point increases.

• The modeling kit helps you avoid mistakes when answering questions on exams and homework.

• Once you have identified the functional groups in the reaction, work the problem backwards (from product to reactant) using the maps as a guide.

Developing Essential Study Skills

• Do a set of practice problems from your book every day to keep up with the material.

• Once you have mastered the vocabulary, make new flashcards for reactions and structures.

• Choose study partners that learn at the same rate you do. If the group is too fast or too slow for you, it won’t be as beneficial.

• While this may not work for everyone, it is good to try it out and see if it helps you think ideas through properly before writing them down.

• Break up your studying into large and small blocks of time. If you only have ten minutes, flip through some flashcards. If you have an hour or two, do practice problems.

• If something you wrote during class doesn’t make sense, attend office hours to ask for clarification.
• Ask your professor for permission to record class lectures so you can listen to them again if you are having difficulty.

• Try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
• Make time for exercise, even if it’s just a walk with a friend.
• Make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables and stay away from sodas and excess caffeine.

• Make sure you have plenty of space to spread out.
• Keep your study space stocked with everything you will need (paper, calculator, scissors, snacks, etc.) so you won’t have to go hunting and get distracted.

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/careers/college-to-career/areas-of-chemistry/organic-chemistry.html
• ↑ http://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2010/10/11/how-to-do-well-in-orgo-collected-advice/
• ↑ http://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2011/04/15/if-youre-leaving-for-an-exam-in-3-minutes-or-less-read-this/
• ↑ http://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2010/04/09/organic-chemistry-study-tips-learn-the-trends/
• ↑ http://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2010/06/23/exam-tip-dont-just-bring-your-model-kit-use-it/
• ↑ http://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2012/05/07/organic-chemistry-study-tips-reaction-maps/
• ↑ https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2013/05/10/organic-reaction-flashcards-version-2-0-is-here/
• ↑ https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/7-tips-to-survive-organic-chem/
• ↑ http://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2012/08/10/americas-top-ta-shares-his-secrets-for-teaching-o-chem/
• ↑ http://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2011/09/21/advice-from-a-students/
• ↑ https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/studyprocaff/chapter/successful-students-take-control-of-their-health/
• ↑ https://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/study-and-training/help-with-study/how-to-study-better/top-10-study-tips

About This Article

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Shivanya Rathi

Sep 24, 2016

Did this article help you?

Anna Kolins

Sep 3, 2017

Dec 15, 2017

Nov 6, 2017

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Develop the tech skills you need for work and life

Maintenance work is planned from 22:00 BST on Monday 16th September 2024 to 22:00 BST on Tuesday 17th September 2024.

During this time the performance of our website may be affected - searches may run slowly, some pages may be temporarily unavailable, and you may be unable to access content. If this happens, please try refreshing your web browser or try waiting two to three minutes before trying again.

We apologise for any inconvenience this might cause and thank you for your patience.

Journal of Materials Chemistry C

Extremely large magnetoresistance with coexistence of a nontrivial berry phase in nb 0.5 ta 0.5 p: an experimental and theoretical study.

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi 221005, India E-mail: [email protected]

b Toyota Technological Institute, Energy Materials Laboratory, Hisakata 2-12-1, Tempaku, Nagoya 468-8511, Japan

c Hiroshima Synchrotron Radiation Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City 739-0046, Japan

d Department of Physics, D.D.U. Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur 273009, India

e Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan

In our study, we focused on Weyl semimetals NbP and TaP, known for their remarkable magnetoresistance (MR) at low temperatures due to charge carrier compensation. We synthesized an intermediate compound, Nb 0.5 Ta 0.5 P, which also exhibits extremely large magnetoresistance (XMR) at low temperatures. Although its MR% is one order of magnitude lower than that of the parent systems, Nb 0.5 Ta 0.5 P demonstrates perfect charge carrier compensation up to 50 K. The magnetoresistance in this compound follows an B 2 dependence and mirrors the classical carrier mobility's temperature dependence. We noticed a deviation from Kohler's rule in both instances, demonstrating the existence of multiple kinds of charge carriers. We conducted an analysis of Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations to investigate the Fermi surface evolution and the presence of a nontrivial Berry phase in all three compounds. In Nb 0.5 Ta 0.5 P, quantum oscillations revealed multiple Fermi pockets. Additionally, density functional theory (DFT) calculations predicted bulk band structure features near the Fermi level, including band-crossing points. Changes in the density of states between the parent and doped systems were systematically observed, with the inclusion of spin–orbit coupling (SOC) revealing a band gap opening at Weyl node points. The significant enhancement in magnetoresistance observed in Nb 0.5 Ta 0.5 P at room temperature suggests promising avenues for exploring similar systems with suitable substitutions to develop new high-performance materials for industrial applications.

Transparent peer review

To support increased transparency, we offer authors the option to publish the peer review history alongside their article.

View this article’s peer review history

Article information

Download citation, permissions.

V. K. Gangwar, S. Singh, S. Ghosh, S. Dixit, S. Kumar, P. Shahi, Y. Uwatoko and S. Chatterjee, J. Mater. Chem. C , 2024, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D4TC02170C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page .

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page .

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content .

Social activity

Search articles by author.

This article has not yet been cited.

Advertisements

Click here for a printer friendly pdf version of this page

Blank Mechanism Sheets To Help Learn Mechanisms (pdf's).

Comprehensive Reaction Study Sheets (pdf)

Brief Reaction Summary (pdf)

Complete Semester Roadmap Template (pdf)

Study Tips from a Fall 2019 Student Survey

How Can You Succeed in Organic Chemistry? I know that you lead complicated lives, and it is important that you are as efficient as possible when it comes to learning Organic Chemistry. Click here for advice from last year's class in the form of an end-of-year survey that says exactly how they succeeded. Read that first. Now, after you have read that, here is everything I have learned about making your study time as efficient and effective as possible.

Preparing for Exams: What Does Learning Science Tell Us? Decades of learning science has provided great advice for studying effectively. Here are suggested tasks that are consistent with the most effective learning techniques to emerge from extensive research. When you prepare for an exam, you should:

1) DO THINGS, do not just reread things when you study . Generate things and have specific tasks to accomplish. That is the most efficient and effective way to learn!

A) Use your class note summaries as a primary source of information when preparing for exams . Throughout the semester, you should prepare summaries, in your own words , of your lecture notes in the form of outlines you generate. DO NOT just reread your lecture notes. See "3) Be the best student you can be all semester" below for more details. You need to be doing this during the entire semester. B) Watch lectures again and take notes to review what you do not understand. Use the Rules Of The Day as a guide to help you find which sections of old lectures you need to rewatch. Consider rewatching them at increased speed to save time. Previous classes say this really works. C) Fill in blank mechanism sheets. Click here to get copies of blank mechanism sheets from the entire semester. This is the best way to learn mechanisms. D) Fill in complete roadmaps from memory. Roadmaps put all the reactions you will learn in context. You will need to be able to fill one in from memory to make sure you know all the reactions, and how they work together during synthesis. Click here to get a blank roadmap template for all of the reactions we will learn this semester. Click here for a filled-in roadmap that covers all reactions through Chapter 9. E) Practice working reactions backwards to help with synthesis . Study with a friend, and both of you should do the same thing. Write down a starting molecule, then carry out a reaction on that starting material. Write the product. Now using your roadmap as a guide, write as many different reactions as you need so that you cover the reactions in the roadmap. Show your friend only the products, and only look at your friend's products. Both of you then guess the starting molecules and reagents for each product . This is the best way to learn how to work backwards during synthesis problems.

2) AFTER you are finished with the above tasks, work through the old exams as your final preparation.

A) You need to know the material first, but research shows that practice exams are the MOST EFFECTIVE test preparation of all. I have now posted all of my previous exams (with and without answers) dating back to 2006 to help with your exam preparation. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!! One caveat here is that the course material and emphasis has changed over the years, and it will continue to evolve. The most recent exams should be the most similar to the level and types of questions you will see.  

3) Be the best student you can be all semester long. Doing well requires effort the entire semester, not just prior to an exam. In fact, cramming only before exams does not work for classes like O Chem. Here is what you need to do to succeed in this class and all of your other classes as well.

A) Go to class every day and take great notes. These notes will be your primary source of material for the course Psychologists have a detailed explanation for why going to class is important. There are studies indicating that you will make a much better connection with the material when you are there in person. I have my own evidence I obtained myself. On a randomly chosen day during the semester, we took roll by giving a surprise quiz that was turned in. After the semester was over, we tracked the final grade distribution of the students who where present that day and compared it to the grade distribution of the students who chose not to attend class (the quiz was not announced ahead of time). Click here to see a copy of the original data. The bottom line is that the students attending class averaged a full grade higher than those not attending (B vs. C average). Most important, 70% of the students who ended up getting an A were present in class. Even more compelling, almost all of the students who ended up failing the class were not present in class. B) Outline the lecture notes every week . That is, rewrite your notes using the fewest possible words, in outline format, with arrows connecting related ideas. The best way to think about this is the following: Pretend you would be allowed to bring a few pieces of paper, i.e. "cheat sheets" to each exam*. What would be on those pieces of paper from the lectures that would guarantee you would get 100% correct on the exam? Make those sheets that cover every week. I will emphasize this again. You need to do this every single week, not just before the exams! *Sorry, we give only closed book exams. C) Outline the reading sections every week . You will have reading homework assigned after almost every class. Put together outlines of this material every night. Don't just "read and forget", make an outline while you read. It really does not take long. D) Keep your roadmap up to date every week . A roadmap shows all of the types of organic molecules (alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, alkyl halides, etc.) and with arrows drawn between them, the appropriate reagents and/or reaction conditions written over the arrows, and the stereochemistry/regiochemistry written below the arrow as applicable. Preparing a roadmap is the very best way I know of to keep track of reactions and mechanisms so that you can use reactions in synthesis problems. It gives you the "big picture" in a straightforward way. Roadmaps are the best way I have ever found to help students understand how all of the chemical reactions we study fit together in a way you can use them. For a much more detailed description of a roadmap, click here . E) Reasons to use the above outlining method: i. Organizing your class notes/reading into summaries/outlines will greatly increase the learning process by organizing the important concepts in your mind. ii. Organizing your class notes/reading into summaries/outlines will also focus your attention on any problems you have understanding the material before it is too late. iii. You will then be prepared to better comprehend the material presented the following week in lecture. New material invariably builds upon old material. Never get behind! iv. Did you see what I said there? NEVER GET BEHIND. I repeat , NEVER GET BEHIND . v. Your study time has been broken down into tasks. When you are done outlining and filling in your roadmap, you are finished. Go have fun .

Pardon Our Interruption

As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. There are a few reasons this might happen:

• You've disabled JavaScript in your web browser.
• You're a power user moving through this website with super-human speed.
• You've disabled cookies in your web browser.
• A third-party browser plugin, such as Ghostery or NoScript, is preventing JavaScript from running. Additional information is available in this support article .

To regain access, please make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled before reloading the page.