Chloroform structure

Learning Outcomes • Describe the importance and purpose of functional groups in organic reactions. • Identify and name functional groups in compounds. With over twenty million known organic compounds in existence, it would be very challenging to memorize chemical reactions for each one. Fortunately, molecules with similar functional groups tend to undergo similar reactions. Functional groups are structural units within organic compounds that are defined by specific bonding arrangements between specific atoms. For example the structure of capsaicin, found in chili peppers, incorporates several functional groups, labeled in the figure below and explained throughout this section. Even if other parts of the molecule are quite different, certain functional groups tend to react in certain ways. As we progress in our study of organic chemistry, it will become extremely important to be able to quickly recognize the most common functional groups, because they are the key structural elements that define how organic molecules react. For now, we will only worry about drawing and recognizing each functional group, as depicted by Lewis and line structures. Much of the remainder of your study of organic chemistry will be taken up with learning about how the different functional groups behave in organic reactions. The ‘default’ in organic chemistry (essentially, the lack of any functional groups) is given the term alkane, characterized by single bonds between carbon and carbon, or between...