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Organic Chemistry Functional Groups Textbook

A free, self-paced textbook in 7 chapters. Read a chapter, then drill it with the 200 companion flashcards using spaced repetition.

7 chapters · 200 cards · Updated

Chapters

  1. 1Hydrocarbon Frameworks: Alkanes, Alkenes, Alkynes

    Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons whose acyclic members follow the general formula \(C_nH_{2n+2}\). They contain only sigma (single) bonds between carbons and between carbon and h...

  2. 2Aromatic Chemistry

    Benzene and other aromatic rings obey Hückel's rule: the ring system must be cyclic, planar, fully conjugated, and possess \(4n+2\) pi electrons, where n is an integer (yielding 6,...

  3. 3Oxygen-Containing Functional Groups

    Alcohols feature a hydroxyl group (-OH) bonded to an \(sp^3\) carbon and are named with the suffix -ol (ethanol, propanol). They are classified as primary (1°), secondary (2°), or...

  4. 4Carbonyl Compounds: Aldehydes and Ketones

    Aldehydes feature a carbonyl group bonded to at least one hydrogen (R-CHO) and are named with the suffix -al (methanal, ethanal). The carbonyl carbon is \(sp^2\) hybridized with tr...

  5. 5Carboxylic Acids and Their Derivatives

    Carboxylic acids are defined by the carboxyl group -COOH, in which a carbonyl and a hydroxyl share the same carbon. They are named with the suffix -oic acid (ethanoic acid) and the...

  6. 6Amines, Nitriles, and Sulfur Compounds

    Amines are characterized by a nitrogen atom bonded to one or more carbon groups with a lone pair (R-NH₂). They are classified as primary (1°), secondary (2°), or tertiary (3°) by t...

  7. 7Mechanisms, Named Reactions, and Spectroscopy

    Alkyl halides (R-X) bear a halogen on an \(sp^3\) carbon and are substrates for two competing substitution pathways: \(S_N2\) (bimolecular, backside attack, leading to inversion of...

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