Organic Chemistry
A concise guide for students

By Aleyamma Ninan
December 2001
Studymates Ltd.
ISBN: 1-84285-005-9
208 pages, illustrated
$26.50 paper original

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Here is a fantastic study and revision guide to Organic Chemistry. This comprehensive but very student-friendly handbook will help you learn more quickly, save valuable revision time, and tackle your coursework and exams with much more confidence. Don't leave things to chance - use this new Studymate, and make sure you achieve a successful result. The book is complete with helpful tuition material at the end of each chapter - practice questions, discussion points, practical assignments, and study and revision tips. The book is complete with a glossary, web sites for Chemistry students, and index.

 Contents:
1. Structure and Bonding
 One minute summary
 1.1 What are atomic orbitals?
 1.2 Writing electronic configuration
 1.3 Formation of a covalent bond
 1.4 Hybridisation of atomic orbitals:
 1.5 Electronegativity and polarity of covalent bonds
 Tutorial

2. Introducing some Classes of Organic Compounds
 One minute summary
 2.1 What are hydrocarbons?
 2.2 Saturated hydrocarbons - Alkanes
 2.3 Drawing chemical structures
 2.4 The importance of systematic naming of organic compounds
 2.5 Introducing isomerism
 2.6 Alkyl groups
 2.7 Naming compounds by the IUPAC system
 2.8 Cycloalkanes
 2.9 Unsaturated hydrocarbons - Alkenes
 2.10 Unsaturated hydrocarbons - Alkynes
 2.11 Aromatic hydrocarbons
 2.12 What are functional groups?
 2.13 Alcohols
 2.14 Phenols
 2.15 Aldehydes and ketones
 2.16 Carboxylic acids
 2.17 Amines
 2.18 Summary of functional groups
 Tutorial

3. Alkanes and Halogenoalkanes 
 One minute summary
 3.1 Alkanes
 3.2 Properties of alkanes
 3.3 Reactions of alkanes
 3.4 Halogenoalkanes
 3.5 Preparation of halogenoalkanes
 3.6 Reactions of halogenoalkanes
 3.7 Introducing conformation of alkanes and cycloalkanes

4. Types of Organic Reactions
 One minute summary
 4.1 Some useful terms
 4.2 Explaining reaction rates
 4.3 Studying reaction types
 4.4 Addition reaction
 4.5 Electrophilic addition reaction
 4.6 Nucleophilic addition reaction
 4.7 Substitution reaction
 4.8 Nucleophilic substitution
 4.9 Factors affecting the rates of SN1 and SN2 reactions
 4.10 Electrophilic substitution
 4.11 Elimination
 4.12 Nucleophlic substitution versus elimination
 4.13 Rearrangement reactions 
 Tutorial

5. Isomerism and Stereochemistry
 One minute summary
 5.1 Isomerism: Constitutional isomers
 5.2 Stereoisomers
 5.3 What is optical activity?
 5.4 The Fischer projection formula
 5.5 The R-S system of naming enantiomers
 5.6 Enantiomers and diastereomers
 5.7 Meso compounds
 5.8 Geometrical isomerism
 5.9 The Z-E system of nomenclature of geometrical isomers
 Tutorial

6. Alkenes, Alkynes and Arenes
 One minute summary
 6.1 Alkenes
 6.2 Methods of preparation of alkenes
 6.3  Reaction of alkenes
 6.4 Alkynes
 6.5 Preparation of alkynes
 6.6 Reactions of alkynes
 6.7 Arenes
 6.8 Reactions of benzene
 6.9 Effect of a substituent on further substitution
 Tutorial

7. Alcohols and Phenols

 One minute summary
 7.1 Alcohols
 7.2 Acidity of alcohols
 7.3 Alcohols as bases
 7.4 Conversion of alcohols to halogenoalkanes
 7.5 Dehydration of alcohols
 7.6 Oxidation of alcohols
 7.7 Phenols
 Tutorial

8. Aldehydes and Ketones
 One minute summary
 8.1 What are aldehydes and ketones?
 8.2 Structure of the carbonyl group
 8.3 Preparation of aldehyde and ketones
 8.4 Reactions of aldehydes and ketones
 8.5 Addition reactions
 8.6 Condensation reactions
 8.7 Keto-Enol tautomerism
 8.8 Oxidation of aldehydes and ketones
 Tutorial

9. Carboxylic Acids and their Derivatives
 One minute summary
 9.1 Carboxylic acids
 9.2 Structure and properties
 9.3 Acidity of carboxylic acids
 9.4 Preparation of carboxylic acids
 9.5 Reactions of carboxylic acids
 9.6 Derivates of carboxylic acids
 Tutorial

10. Amines - Organic bases
 One minute summary
 10.1 Introducing amines
 10.2 Properties of amines
 10.3 Methods of preparation of amines
 10.4 Reactions of amines
 10.5 Quaternary ammonium compounds
 10.6 Diazonium salts
 Tutorial

11. Organic Synthesis
 One minute summary
 11.1 Synthesis of organic molecules
 11.2 What is retrosynthesis?
 11.3 Construction of C-C bond
 11.4 Functional group interconversion (FGI)
 11.5 Alkene synthesis
 11.6 Oxidation reactions of alkenes and alcohols
 11.7 Reduction reactions of carbonyl compounds
 11.8 Protecting groups and strategy in organic synthesis
 Tutorial

12. Analysis and Spectroscopy
 One minute summary
 12.1 Introduction to electromagnetic radiation
 12.2 Infrared spectroscopy
 12.3 Ultraviolet spectroscopy
 12.4 Mass spectrometry
 12.5 Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
 Tutorial

 Glossary
 Useful web sites for organic chemistry students
 Index

Author biography:
Dr Aleyamma Ninan PhD CChem MRSC is a Lecturer in Organic Chemistry at the University of Bristol.

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