CHEM 244: Principles of Organic Chemistry I - For Chemical Engineering Students

CHEM 244, Principles of Organic Chemistry I, is an organic chemistry course designed specifically for Chemical Engineering students and offered by the Department of Chemistry, College of Science. It introduces the fundamental principles of organic chemistry, with emphasis on the structure, classification, nomenclature, physical properties, and reactions of hydrocarbons and alkyl halides, providing a foundation in organic chemistry relevant to the field of chemical engineering. The course content consists of:

Chapter 1: Introduction to Organic Chemistry:

Carbon compounds and their chemical bonds (ionic and covalent), atomic and molecular orbitals, and hybridization.

Chapter 2: Structure and Classification of Organic Compounds:

Structure and classification of hydrocarbons, including alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, alkynes, conjugated dienes, and aromatic compounds. Alkyl groups, configuration and conformational analysis of cyclohexanes, resonance and stability of conjugated systems, allylic species, aromaticity and Hückel’s rule, polynuclear aromatic compounds, alkyl halides, and optical isomerism. Natural sources of hydrocarbons, petroleum refining, and octane number.

Chapter 3: Nomenclature of Organic Compounds:

IUPAC nomenclature of alkyl groups, alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatic compounds, and alkyl halides.

Chapter 4: Physical Properties and Intermolecular Forces:

Physical properties of organic compounds and intermolecular forces, including van der Waals forces, London dispersion forces, dipole–dipole interactions, and hydrogen bonding. Physical properties of hydrocarbons, including boiling points and solubility. Resonance and stability of conjugated dienes and benzene. Polarity and inductive effect. Acid–base concepts.

Chapter 5: Organic Reactions:

Elimination Reactions: Preparation of alkenes and alkynes by elimination reactions. E1 and E2 mechanisms.

Electrophilic Addition Reactions: Addition reactions of alkenes and alkynes. Electrophilic addition to conjugated dienes, including 1,2- and 1,4-addition. Cycloaddition reactions of conjugated dienes.

Free Radical Reactions: Free radical halogenation of alkanes and cycloalkanes. Allylic halogenation and related radical reactions.

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions: Electrophilic substitution reactions of aromatic compounds, including halogenation, nitration, sulphonation, alkylation, and acylation. Reactivity and orientation in substituted benzenes.

Nucleophilic Reactions: Nucleophilic substitution reactions of alkyl halides, including SN1 and SN2 mechanisms. Preparation of alkyl halides through nucleophilic substitution reactions.

Oxidation and Reduction Reactions: Combustion and oxidation reactions of hydrocarbons. Oxidation of alkenes and alkynes. Oxidation of alkylbenzene side chains and related oxidation and reduction reactions.