Topic 10 introduces carbon chemistry: naming organic compounds, identifying functional groups, understanding isomerism, and studying the reactions of key homologous series (alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, and more).
Homologous series: family of compounds with same functional group, general formula, and similar chemical properties. IUPAC naming: identify longest carbon chain (root), number from end nearest to functional group, name substituents with position numbers. Example: 2-methylpropan-1-ol. Molecular, structural, and displayed formulas.
Alkanes (C-C, saturated): combustion, free-radical substitution. Alkenes (C=C): addition reactions (H₂, HX, X₂, H₂O). Alcohols (−OH): combustion, oxidation (primary → aldehyde → carboxylic acid; secondary → ketone), esterification. Halogenoalkanes (−X). Carboxylic acids (−COOH). Esters (−COO−): formed by acid + alcohol with catalyst.
Structural isomers: same molecular formula, different structural formula (chain isomerism, position isomerism, functional group isomerism). Stereoisomers (HL): same structural formula but different spatial arrangement. Cis-trans (geometric) isomerism: restricted rotation around C=C. Optical isomerism: chiral centre with 4 different groups → enantiomers.
Addition: atoms add across a double bond (alkenes). Substitution: one atom/group replaces another (alkanes with halogens via free-radical mechanism). Condensation: two molecules join with loss of small molecule (e.g., water in esterification). Oxidation: addition of O or removal of H (alcohol oxidation using acidified K₂Cr₂O₇). Reduction: opposite of oxidation.
Create a reaction map: put each homologous series as a node and draw arrows showing how to convert between them (e.g., alkene → alcohol by addition of H₂O; alcohol → carboxylic acid by oxidation). Know the reagents and conditions for each conversion. Practice converting one functional group to another through multiple steps. IB commonly asks for multi-step synthesis routes connecting different series.
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