MODULE 1:

Introduction to Organic
Chemistry

Atomic Structure
and
Bonding
 Organic Chemistry
• Organic compounds are compounds containing carbon.

• Carbon neither readily gives up nor readily

accepts electrons.
• Carbon has the ability to share electrons with
other carbon atoms as well as with other kinds
of atoms.
Ionic Compounds

• Ionic compounds
are formed when an
electropositive
element transfers
electron/s to an
electronegative
element.
 Covalent Compounds
• Equal sharing of electrons: nonpolar /covalent bond (e.g., C-H)
• Sharing of electrons between atoms of significantly different
electronegativities: polar covalent bond (e.g., C-O)
• Sharing of electrons between fully charged atoms: coordinate
covalent bond
• Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract bonding
electrons toward itself.
Important Bond Numbers

one bond H F Cl Br I

two bonds O

three bonds N

four bonds C
Structural Representations
Lewis Structures
Depict:
a.) how atoms are bonded to one another
b.) lone pair electrons possessed by atoms
c.) formal charges of atoms

Formal charge =
number of valence electrons –
(number of lone pair electrons + number of
bonds)
The s Orbitals

An electron in a 1s orbital can be anywhere

within the 1s sphere, but a 2s atomic orbital is
more complex.

There is a part of the orbital, known as a node,

where the probability of finding an electron falls
to zero.
The p Orbitals
 Molecular Orbitals
• Molecular orbitals belong to the whole molecule.

• s bond: formed by overlapping of two s orbitals

• Bond strength/bond dissociation: energy

required to break a bond or energy released to
form a bond.
• Bond length is the distance between the nuclei
of two covalently bonded atoms in a molecule.
p bond is formed by sideways overlap of two parallel p orbitals.
Hybridization of Orbitals: sp3
Bond Angles
The orbitals used in bond formation determine the bond angles.

• sp3 hybrid orbitals exhibit a tetrahedral

geometry (109.5°).
Bonding in Ethane: Single Bond
Hybridization of Orbitals: sp2

• sp2 hybrid orbitals exhibit a trigonal planar

geometry (120°).
• Also usually obeyed by electronegative atoms
Bonding in Ethene: Double Bond
Hybridization of Orbitals: sp

• sp hybrid orbitals exhibit a linear geometry

(180°).
Bonding in Ethyne: Triple Bond

• A triple bond consists of one s bond and two

p bonds.