Structure and Bonding

Organic chemistry can look intimidating at first. Let's jump right in and tackle this sense of fear by examining a rather complex molecule: Crixivan, shown below. Just looking at its intricate structure can feel overwhelming, but imagine having to synthesize it! Throughout this book, you'll learn the skills needed to create structures as complex as this. We'll break down and demystify even the most challenging molecules, helping you understand and appreciate the process.

What do you see when you look at Crixivan? Maybe you notice some hexagons or even a pentagon.  You might recognize what these ring structures are from general chemistry. You might recall the concept of chemical bonds from your general chemistry course. But what else stands out? You might see wedges and dashed bonds and wonder, "What do these mean?" What atoms do you see?  Don’t worry—throughout this book, we’ll explore all these details, step by step, and make sure these symbols become second nature to you.  We will also look at how this and other molecules are made, breaking down the synthesis into manageable and understandable parts.

This chapter provides a review of material covered in general chemistry and an introduction to basic organic chemistry principles you will use throughout your studies of organic chemistry.  

• the shapes and significance of atomic orbitals.
• electron configurations and how they relate to bonds
• valence bond and molecular orbital theory.
• hybridization.
• resonance
• the structure and geometry of the compounds methane, ethane, ethylene, and acetylene.