Course Manual

Introductory Organic Chemistry I

CHE 108

(2021/2022 Academic Year)

Second Semester

Department of Chemistry
School of Physical Sciences
College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences
University of Cape Coast

CHE 108 – 2021/2022 academic year Second Semester 1

Course information

Title: Introductory Organic Chemistry

Code: CHE 108
Credits: 3 (3 teaching hour per week + 1 hour tutorial class per week)
Time and Venue: see departmental notice boards (chemistry department)
Entry requirements: CHE 107, CHE 111 and CHE 115

Instructor(s) information

Dr Isaac Asiamah (Course Coordinator)

Office: C2-15
Phone: 0558386789
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Office hours: By Appointment

Mr. J. P. K. Adotey
Dr. Robertson Akrofi
Dr. George A. Adjei
Dr. Patrick Malcom Fynn
Dr. Justice K. Addo
Dr. (Mrs.) G. E. Adukpo

At your first meeting, your respective Instructors are expected to provide you with their
contact information and discuss with you their preferred office hours as well as how to
contact them should you have any concerns. Additionally, please feel free to contact the
Course Coordinator should you have any questions regarding this course.

Course Overview
Welcome to CHE 108 (Introductory Organic Chemistry). This course is designed to introduce you
to a broad area of study in chemistry and to prepare you for further courses in the area of organic
chemistry. We will start by introducing you to the concept of vitalism and how that led to our present
understanding of organic chemistry as a study area. This will lead us to a discussion on various
experimental techniques use by Organic Chemists in our efforts to elucidate the structures for new
compounds. We will subsequently discuss structure, nomenclature and physical properties of
hydrocarbons (Alkanes, Alkenes, Alkynes and Arenes) with the goal of helping students to develop
competence in IUPAC naming system and to recognise trends in properties of these compounds.
Ideas in organic chemistry almost always build on one another and therefore the best way to be

CHE 108 – 2021/2022 academic year Second Semester 2

successful in this course is to make sure you understand each new section before you move on to
the next. Once students develop understanding of the fundamental concepts, we will explore
synthesis and reactions of these class of organic compounds. We will emphasis principles as a way
of helping you practice your thinking and problem-solving skills rather than memorization of a bunch
of reactions. The best advice at this point is that there are tons and tons of known organic
compounds making it almost impossible to memorize all of them, but learning the principles, the
‘why’ and the ‘how’, of reactions help to make sense of organic chemistry. You will have the
opportunity the practice your learning in a supported environment through our weekly tutorial
classes.

Teaching Goals
Our goal is to help you recognise the fundamental principles that underpin various concepts in
organic chemistry and the patterns of reactivity of functional groups. Efforts will be made to relate
theoretical concepts to real life situations involving application of organic chemistry concepts. There
is beautiful pattern to solving organic chemistry problems, and once you get past your initial panics,
you will realize that most of what you will be learning in this course are interesting.

Course Objectives

On successful completion of CHE 108, students should be able to:

1. Discuss organic chemistry as an area of study in chemistry

2. Explain trends in physical and chemical properties for hydrocarbons
3. Demonstrate learning by providing names to organic compounds using the IUPAC system
of nomenclature
4. Evaluate chemical reactions to determine their appropriateness in preparing specified
products
5. Write equations to describe synthesis of specified products.
6. Determine aromaticity, anti-aromaticity and non-aromaticity in compounds
7. Provide synthetic route to simple benzene derivatives

Connection with other courses

CHE 107- General Chemistry
CHE 111 – Introduction Chemistry (Nursing)
CHE 115 – General Chemistry (Health Sciences)

CHE 108 – 2021/2022 academic year Second Semester 3

Recommended Textbook and Course Materials

There is no required textbook for this course. Most standard organic chemistry textbooks will be
useful. However, the following are recommended:
• Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry by T. W. Graham Solomon 9th edition ( TWGS)
• Organic Chemistry by Ralph J. Fesseden and Joan S. Fesseden 4th edition (FF)
• Organic Chemistry by Volhardt (Vold.)
• Organic Chemistry by Francis Carey
• Organic Chemistry by Paula Yurkanis Bruice
• Organic Chemistry by L.G. Wade Jr.
Please contact the Course Coordinator if you wish to receive soft copies of some the
recommended textbooks.

Class Schedule
Details of expectations for each week (i.e. 3 hours of lecture) have been tabulated below. Please
read about the assigned topics before class and be prepared to participate in all class activities.

CHE 108 – 2021/2022 academic year Second Semester 4

Week Content topics Reading
1 Introduction to the course syllabus Read on
purification
Introduction to Organic Chemistry – vital force theory, current definition
techniques in
of organic chemistry, Th Organic Chemist’s Periodic Table and why
organic
Carbon is unique; hybridization (sp, sp2 and sp3) in organic
chemistry,
compounds, bond types (sigma and pii bonds)
Elemental
Basic Purification Methods – extractions, distillations (simple and analysis
fractional), Chromatography (TLC, Column),
Crystallization/Recrystallization, Tests for purity (melting point, boiling
point, refractive index)
Qualitative determination (Detection) of Elements (C, H, O, N, S, X)
2 Quantitative determination of elements (C, H, O, N, S, X) Read on organic
quantitative
Molecular composition, Empirical and Molecular Formula determination
analysis,
Intro to functional groups in general and hydrocarbons in particular empirical,
Alkanes – Structure, Sources and Physical Properties, IUPAC Naming molecular formula
including cycloalkanes, Isomerism determinations,
IUPAC
nomenclature
3 Preparations and Reactions of Alkanes Read on methods
Bond breaking mechanisms (homolytic and heterolytic cleavages), for preparing
Electrophiles and nucleophiles alkanes and
Combustion of alkanes, halogenation reactions halogenation of
Alkenes - Structure, Sources and Physical Properties, IUPAC Naming, methane
geometric isomerism geometric
isomerism (cis-
trans and E/Z
designations)
4 Preparations of Alkenes: Elimination reactions – alcohol dehydration, Read on
dehydrohalogenations (E1 and E2 reactions), dehalogenation of vicinal Read on E1 and
dibromides E2 reactions

5 Reactions of Alkenes: Electrophilic addition reactions (hydrogen Read on

halides, hydration, halogenation, halohydrins), hydrogenation, oxidation reactions of
to diols, oxidative cleavage alkenes
*First assessment (Quiz 1) will be written after week 4 and will Revise Week 1-5
comprise MCQs and/or SAQs lessons for quiz
1
Date and venue: To be determined (TBD)
6 Alkynes -Structure, Sources and Physical Properties, IUPAC Naming, Read on methods
Acidity of terminal alkynes for preparing
Preparations of Alkynes: Elimination reactions, alkylation, alkynes
Reactions of Alkynes: Hydrohalogenation, hydration, halogenation,
hydrogenation, oxidative cleavage

7 Intro to Aromatic compounds, Structure and Stability, Physical Read on benzene

Properties, Resonance and Aromaticity (aromatic, anti-aromatic and
non-aromatic systems), IUPAC Naming

CHE 108 – 2021/2022 academic year Second Semester 5

8 Reactions of Benzene Read on
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitutions (Nitration, halogenations, electrophilic
sulfonation, Friedel Craft Alkylation and Acylation) aromatic
substitution
9 Preparation of simple derivatives of benzene with specific orientation: Read on
substituents effect on reactivity and orientation (EWGs vs EDGs), Intro. substituents
to side chain reactions and their applications. effect on
reactivity and
orientation
*Second assessment (Quiz 2) will be written after week 9 and will Revise Weeks 6-
comprise MCQs and/or SAQs. 9 lessons for
Date and venue: TBD quiz 2.
10 Review of all areas students might have difficulties/Tutorials Review questions
will be assigned

Modes of Assessment

Continuous Assessment:
There will be a minimum of two quizzes for 20 marks each. Each quiz will comprise multiple
choice questions (MCQs) and/or short answer-type questions (SAQs) to be answered within 60
min. The quizzes will constitute 40% of your total score.

End of Semester Examination

The end of the semester examination would consist of two sections. The first section which is
compulsory would comprise 40 MCQs for 40 marks. In the second section, you would have four
questions consisting of SAQs from which you would choose and answer only two for 20 marks.
Thus, the total marks for the end of semester examination would be 60 marks.

Final Grade
Both the continuous assessment (40%) and end of semester examination (60%) together would
give you a total score of 100 marks and your letter grade will assigned according the UCC grading
policy below:
Marks Letter Grade Description
80 -100 A Excellent
75 - 79 B+ Very good
70 - 74 B Good
65 - 69 C+ Credit
60 - 64 C Credit
55 - 59 D+ Pass
50 - 54 D Pass
0 - 49 E Fail

CHE 108 – 2021/2022 academic year Second Semester 6

Course Requirements

a) Attendance Expectations

Students are expected to attend all classes and to arrive on time. It is important to attend all classes
because the learning in organic chemistry is so interrelated that it is sometimes difficult to follow the
next class if you miss the previous one. If you must miss a class because of ill health or other
legitimate reason, please make appointment with a Teaching Assistant to help you cover the missed
class.

b) Class Participation
We expect students to the take charge of their own learning in this course. You will have numerous
in-class opportunity to demonstrate your learning and we expect students to take advantage of
these active learning activities to engage with their peers, teaching assistants as well as the
instructors. Much of the learning you will do in this course will depend on solving problems
individually and in small groups. Sharing is a great way to learn and therefore we strongly encourage
everyone to get actively involved in all in-class activities. And to practice, practice, and practice!!
And one more tip, keep up with your studying day to day.

Policy on Missed Exam/Quiz

If you miss a quiz you will not be allowed to write a make-up exam, regardless of the reason. If a
student does not write a quiz, that student must contact the Course Coordinator as soon as
possible. If the quiz was missed for a legitimate reason (ie. illness, personal or compassionate
reasons etc), you are required to present medical report to the Course Coordinator who will discuss
your options with you.

Cheating/Plagiarism

Cheating is unacceptable, and students are to take note of that. Copying from another student's
paper or receiving unauthorized assistance during a quiz or examination, using books, notes when
these are not authorized, are not allowed. Defaulters would face the disciplinary committee.

Student Feedback

Your feedback on the course will be important to us to evaluate and identify improvements or
changes to this course and the teaching strategies next year. This will also help us to figure out the
best ways to meet your varied learning needs. We are genuinely interested in knowing what you
think of this course in general and your suggestions to make it better achieve its intended objectives.
We will appreciate very much if you will consider completing a ‘two-minute memo’ every month and
the course evaluation at the end of the semester.

CHE 108 – 2021/2022 academic year Second Semester 7