Organic Chem

[Acyl]

I just finished a full year course on organic chemistry.

Chem major !

 

[protovack]

I'm currently studying for my quiz tommorow in o-chem....it is chapter 21, "Ester Enolates", now if that doesn't sound exciting then you are in the wrong thread!

Possible material to be covered on my quiz tommorow:

- Claisen Condensation
- Mixed Claisen
- Intramolecular Claisen (The Dieckmann Reaction)
- Acylation of Ketones with Esters
- Ketone Synthesis via b-Keto esters
- The acetoacetic ester synthesis (using primary alkyl halides)
- The Malonic Ester synthesis (again with alkyl halides)
- Michael Addition of stabilized anions
- Reactions of LDA-generated ester enolates

A few months ago, people would tell me, "Don't worry, everything will click eventually." These past few weeks, I think organic chemistry is finally starting to "click" for me. I am FINALLY getting it, after 6 long months. It feels pretty good

 

[eyeofnewt]

O-chem was pretty cool, up until the time I took my first prelim. Then I hated it.

It's a really fascinating subject, but if you attend a competitive Ivy league school like I did, getting an A can be almost impossible unless you're willing to spend every free waking hour studying. Grrr.

My first semester orgo exam was the hardest test I have ever taken. Baaad memories.

 

[Kilgore]

I have a 97% in the class right now. I am not worrying about the final or organic II but I am worrying about physical chem because I HATE math.

 

[PlurredChemistry]

^^^^^^^^^^

oh don't worry about pchem if you hate math. the math that is used in pchem is so not-mathlike you might end up liking it.

hahaa. no. that's a lie.

enjoy!

 

[Kilgore]

What kinda math is it? Calc type math?

 

[PlurredChemistry]

although there is some calc (most difficult being triple intergrals!) i struggled with the differential equations.

my text book had a supplemental "math chapter" intersperced every 3-4 chapters to help people who's math wasn't up to snuff...

pchem really isn't *that* bad, but you really need to sit through the course twice to start understanding. first time around it is more like you're going through the motions rather than actually understanding the material.

 

[fasteddie]

I am interested in Chemistry, specifically Organic Chem. but I have very little education on the subject, anyone have any good references?

I learned from Morrison and Boyd. I still swear by it.

"Electron Movement" by Weeks is a good supplemental text.

 

[fasteddie]

I have a 97% in the class right now. I am not worrying about the final or organic II but I am worrying about physical chem because I HATE math.

OhMan. I waltzed into my first P-chem exam, thinking it was going to be as easy as organic...I got a 17. Argghh.

I went on to get a B, but it was like Partial Diff Eq boot camp. I owe my B to PW Atkins, bless his heart. His P-Chem text is the best.

 

[protovack]

I don't know what it is, but more people in my o-chem class talk about their grade than in any other class I've ever taken. And it's always the people with A's too. I never hear someone say, "HEY GUESS WHAT GUYS? I got an 88 on the last test!" But move up just a few points and people start bragging......**cough** Kilgore **cough** Just wait until organic II.

 

[fasteddie]

I've taken 2 orgo classes, and the best advice I havre is to not memorize the reactions just learn which species will attack which species from the electron movement. This worked out real well for me as I aced both classes.

That's the way to really learn organic. I did memorize the reactions, it was like a bunch of crossword puzzles, which I also like.

But, I'm not an organic chemist, now...inorganic turned out to be my real calling. Ohhh, the wonders of hydrolysis...

 

[Enlitx]

I'm currently studying for my quiz tommorow in o-chem....it is chapter 21, "Ester Enolates", now if that doesn't sound exciting then you are in the wrong thread!

Possible material to be covered on my quiz tommorow:

- Claisen Condensation
- Mixed Claisen
- Intramolecular Claisen (The Dieckmann Reaction)
- Acylation of Ketones with Esters
- Ketone Synthesis via b-Keto esters
- The acetoacetic ester synthesis (using primary alkyl halides)
- The Malonic Ester synthesis (again with alkyl halides)
- Michael Addition of stabilized anions
- Reactions of LDA-generated ester enolates

A few months ago, people would tell me, "Don't worry, everything will click eventually." These past few weeks, I think organic chemistry is finally starting to "click" for me. I am FINALLY getting it, after 6 long months. It feels pretty good

I swear that my Organic II class and yours must use the same syllabus, you are always posting the exact same thing we are covering at the time. My class is very competitive, an 84 on the last test would have been a solid A with the scale. The part that I hate is that on every test our professor includes a 15 point question that he has never covered before, and it is purposely difficult. It is almost pointless, I can only think of a handful of people who have received 10 points out of the 15. I mean, what the fuck is the point of that? The last mechanism we were supposed to guess at was a recent discovery about how to make a complicated polycyclic ring system in a one step synthesis. When I looked at the paper he got the question from, it turned out to be a 92 page report on that one mechanism.

And I agree with the other poster who said to learn how different species attack different species. Seriously, if you try to just memorize mechanisms you are screwed. Our professor told us that if all you did was try to memorize specific synthesis mechanisms, it would be cruel and unusual punishment. You really have to understand how electrons move and flow in a given environment, and this all has to do with the pKa values, partial charges, prescence of lone pairs, ability to form resonance structure, most stable conformational structures, good leaving groups, blah blah. The only problem for me is that we are moving through so many topics, it is basically learning a each mechanism since each new synthesis route involved properties of molecules that weren't explored in earlier chapters. I have a B+ right now, and it is an honors OChem II course. I am fucking thrilled with that grade.

 

[protovack]

Anybody using the Carey text?

 

[Liric]

^3 posts^That link is sweet because I go to MSU, I have taken Orgo I & II and I have been to that site.

ahhh man I go to state and Im takin orgo I/II next year.

Meanwhile, I need to get back to studying for my chem final tommrw morning.

 

[Enlitx]

Anybody using the Carey text?

That is why we are studying the same topics. Our class is using Organic Chemistry, 6th Edition, by Francis Carey. I think it is a pretty good book, I really enjoy how everything is analyzed from every possible angle. I think Carey should have spent a little more time trying to help students find a way to digest all the information, like providing more tips about how to memorize properties of certain compounds. "All altruists gladly make gum in gallon tanks", that is a pneumonic for the 8 sugars, and things like that really helped me.

We used the same book in Organic I, and we covered chapters 1-22 in two semesters. That is a lot of fucking chemistry. I have my Organic II final in less than eight hours, and it will definetely be the hardest test of my life. An 80% is an A in the class right now because of scaling. This professor does not screw around. I just hope he sticks with the "get to compund B from compund A in 3 steps or fewer" questions. There is talk that he is going to make some questions that combine all the chapters, so some questions will have 7 to 10 steps to get to the final product. Diels Alder, Claisen Condensation, Aldol Condensation, Simmons Smith, Birch Reduction, Sharpless Metathesis, Fischer Esterification, Dieckensen condensation, Jones Oxidant, Stark Trap, Bayer - Villager Oxidation, Michaels 1,4 Addition, Robertson Annulation..... If I have to remember one more scientist's name I am going to explode. I just named those off the top of my head, and it is only a portion of the mechanisms we MUST memorize. I have an A- right now, I will be stoked to walk out of this final with a B.

 

[protovack]

^^^
LOL, yup, Carey 6th edition.

Honestly, I never memorize anything. I either understand it or I don't. I don't remember the names of reactions either, just the reactants and products, and mechanism if necessary.

Personally I love the Carey text, especially the study guide, it is amazing. I can sit down with the book and the study guide for 4 solid hours and get through a whole chapter and feel pretty good about it.

Do you do a lot of the end-of-chapter problems? Sometimes I do the in-chapter problems and then briefly look over the rest. Other times I ignore the in-chapter and just do end-of-chapter problems, usually the "reaction drill" type questions because that's all I have time for.

 

[dirtyharrison]

Great thread,

I'll be taking first year organic next session after completing a final year of highschool equivalent chemistry this session.

Any tips in special tricks i can apply from lecture no. 1?

 

[Chubba75]

Any tips in special tricks i can apply from lecture no. 1?

Do you guys cover molecular geometry, atomic orbital hybridization and molecular orbital theory in High School? Personally I found this part of intro O.Chem the hardest.

Nomenclature of the various hydrocarbons and the reactions of the functional groups was actually interesting... even exciting so I had no trouble with it at all.

 

[dirtyharrison]

Course description

Quantum numbers, orbitals, & electron configurations. Chemical Bonds. Shapes of molecules. Hybrid orbitals. Introductory molecular orbital theory. Functional groups. Stereochemistry of organic molecules. Alkenes, aromatics, organic reactions, carbonyl chemistry. Transition metal compounds, crystal field theory, metalloproteins, metals in medicine.

 

[Chubba75]

Quantum numbers, orbitals, & electron configurations. Chemical Bonds. Shapes of molecules. Hybrid orbitals. Introductory molecular orbital theory.

That's the stuff I had most problem with... not because it was hard, but because it just bored me to tears.

The other stuff is great :D