Organic Chemistry Cheatsheet
Functional Groups
- Alkane: C-C single bond
- Alkene: C=C double bond
- Alkyne: C≡C triple bond
- Alcohol: R-OH
- Ether: R-O-R’
- Aldehyde: R-C=O-H
- Ketone: R-C=O-R’
- Carboxylic Acid: R-C=O-OH
- Ester: R-C=O-O-R’
- Amine: R-NH2, R-NHR’, R-NR’R’’
- Amide: R-C=O-NH2, R-C=O-NHR’, R-C=O-NR’R’’
Reactions
- Addition reaction: adds atoms or groups to a molecule
- Elimination reaction: removes atoms or groups from a molecule
- Substitution reaction: replaces an atom or group in a molecule with another atom or group
- Condensation reaction: forms a covalent bond between two molecules, with the loss of a small molecule (often water)
- Hydrolysis reaction: breaks a covalent bond between two molecules by adding water
Nomenclature
- IUPAC nomenclature: a system of naming organic compounds based on their structure and functional groups
- Common names: non-systematic names used for some simple organic compounds, such as methane and ethanol
Resources