The Most Important Elements in Organic Chemistry

 Organic  Chemistry

Organic Chemistry is defined as the study of chemistry of Hydrcarbon . It's means there must be Carbon as well as Hydrogen.

Misconception

There is misconception that Organic Chemistry is the study of Carbon containing compound only. On the basis of this Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide should be Organic in nature  but they are inorganic in nature due to absence of Carbon- Hydrogen bond .

 Most important elements of Organic Chemistry 

Carbon is the main Element of Organic Chemistry but along with carbon some other elements like Hydrogen , Oxygen , Nitrogen and somewhat phosphorus , Silicon and Sulphur are also important while studying Organic Chemistry .

Most of the Organic compounds are made up of  Carbon , Hydrogen and Oxygen , Of which Carbon and Hydrogen are present in high proportion . 

For understanding , Organic Chemistry we must get familiar with the basic Chemical nature's  and properties of this elements . So , let's see some important nature's and properties  show by these elements. 

Element Carbon 

Without carbon Organic Chemistry doesn't exist . All living organism contains carbon . Carbon occurs in nature in the form of coal , Carbon Dioxide , Carbon monoxide , Biomolecules like proteins , Carbohydrates , Lipids , etc .

Carbon can form large number of compound because of it's catenation property . Catenation means the ability of an atom to form long chain by linking with same kind of atoms (Carbon-Carbon- Carbon ....link)

Due to this properties carbon form variety of Carbon - Carbon chain which ultimately results in the formation of different kinds of Molecule  . These Molecules have different sizes , branching and Functional groups .

Covalency of Carbon is four . It means Carbon can  form four bonds with other atoms . (In some cases carbon forms only two bond)

Element Hydrogen 

Hydrogen is the most Abundant element in the universe and 10 th most Abundant element on the earth . Hydrogen occurs in molecular form (H2) . Therefore it is also called as dihydrogen . 

Valency of Hydrogen is one . It can form only one bond with other atoms . 

Element Oxygen 

Oxygen is most abundant element in the earth Crust . Oxygen found in nature in the form of Oxides . Oxygen is also the second most electronegative element in the periodic table . Oxygen can except two electrons from other atoms. Therefore Oxygen general form two bond with other atoms . 

Electronegative difference between Hydrogen and oxygen is almost same . Therefore , Carbon and Hydrogen form bond by sharing of electrons with them , so that they can complete their outermost orbit and form stable noble gas configuration .

There is small electronegative difference between Carbon and oxygen .It's  Not enough to form ionic bond . Therefore Carbon - oxygen also form covalent bonds. But due to some electronegative difference Oxygen atom tries to attract shared paired electron towards itself . Due to this electron density shift slightly towards Oxygen .

This  induces partial positive charge on carbon atom and partial negative charge on oxygen atom . Carbon - Oxygen bond is polar in nature and carbon -Hydrogen bond is non polar in nature .

Element Nitrogen 

Nitrogen is most abundant element in the air . About 78 % of air contain Nitrogen . Nitrogen is also play a major role in Organic Chemistry . 

Valency of Nitrogen is 3 ( 3 unpaired electron and 1 lone pair electron ) . Nitrogen mostly form 3 Covalent bond with other atoms (also contains a lone pair electron ). But in some cases it can donates an electron and form cationic part of Molecule ( with 4 covalent bond and positive on Nitrogen ) . Ammonium (NH4+) is an example of this types of bond formation.

Phosphorus , Silicon and some other elements also play a minor role in Organic Chemistry .

But the most important elements of Organic Chemistry is Carbon , Hydrogen , Oxygen and Nitrogen .