CHEM 343 Organic Chemistry I (Lec/Lab): Structure and Reactivity

This course is a study of the structure and reactivity of organic compounds with an emphasis on mechanisms to explain reactivity. The topics covered include chemical bonding, acid-base chemistry, stereochemistry, reaction mechanisms and energy diagrams, substitution and elimination reactions, carbonyl reactions (additions, reductions, interconversions, and alpha-reactivity), and the fundamentals of some biological molecules. 3 credits lect., 1 credit lab. Prerequisite: CHEM 134.

Credits

3/1

Prerequisite

CHEM 134

Offered

Fall

Outcomes

1. Learn the fundamentals pertaining to drawing Lewis structures, calculation of formal charge, drawing resonance structures, and determining which resonance structures are plausible or not
2. Learn to identify organic functional groups, basic molecular structure, bonding basics, and use of VSEPR theory and hybrid orbitals to predict the shape of organic compounds
3. Learn the fundamentals of Bronsted-Lowry and Lewis Acid/Base Chemistry
4. Learn the rules of nomenclature to name organic compounds
5. Learn how to determine the 3D (stereochemistry) nature of organic compounds
6. Learn to identify both organic nucleophiles and electrophiles
7. Learn about the physical nature and chemical behavior of alkanes, alkenes, alkyl halides, alkynes, aromatics, and cycloalkanes. Also learn to make logical, rational predictions about the reactivity of the compounds based on learning the curved-arrows mechanisms of various reactions
8. Learn about nucleophilic substitution and elimination reactions
9. Learn to interpret infrared, nuclear magnetic and mass spectrometry data
10. Students will learn how to work safely and efficiently in the lab
11. Students will learn how to maintain a research lab notebook
12. Students will learn the fundamental lab techniques required for organic and be expected to perform the techniques without constant supervision during this semester