Organic Chemistry flashcards, generated for you.

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of one or more pairs of electrons between two atoms, typically nonmetals.

The mixing of atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals of equal energy that are spatially oriented to minimize electron repulsion and maximize bonding overlap.

sp³ uses 4 orbitals (tetrahedral, 109.5°) with single bonds; sp² uses 3 orbitals (trigonal planar, 120°) with one double bond or multiple single bonds.

An electron-rich species (carries lone pairs or π electrons) that attacks electron-deficient carbon and forms a new bond.

Bimolecular nucleophilic substitution: nucleophile attacks the carbon from the rear (opposite the leaving group), inverting stereochemistry in one concerted step.

SN1 is two-step: (1) slow departure of leaving group forms a carbocation, (2) fast nucleophile attacks. Results in racemization; favors tertiary substrates. SN2 is one-step and inverts stereochemistry; favors primary substrates.

In elimination reactions, the major alkene product is the one with the most highly substituted (more stable) double bond.

An electrophile attacks the π electrons of benzene to form a carbocation intermediate (arenium ion), then a base removes a proton to restore aromaticity.

Electron-donating groups (alkyl, -OH, -NH2) are ortho/para-directing by stabilizing carbocation intermediates at those positions. Electron-withdrawing groups (-NO2, -CN) are meta-directing by destabilizing ortho/para carbocations through inductive withdrawal.

A planning method that works backward from the target molecule to simpler precursors by breaking bonds and identifying synthetic transformations, revealing a practical forward synthesis route.