Organic Chemistry II (alcohols and alkenes)

Academic unit or major

Undergraduate major in Life Science and Technology

Instructor(s)

Hideya Yuasa / Kiyohiko Kawai / Hiroyuki Nakamura / Toshiaki Mori / Takeshi Hata / Kazushi Kinbara

Class Format

Lecture (Face-to-face)

Media-enhanced courses

-

Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)

3-4 Tue / 3-4 Fri

Class

-

Course Code

LST.A207

Number of credits

200

Course offered

2024

Offered quarter

2Q

Syllabus updated

Mar 17, 2025

Language

Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

The objects of bioscience and biotechnology are apparently organic compounds. Thus, this lecture systematically and comprehensively describes fundamental topics necessary for the use of or the research on organic compounds, including the knowledge and theory on their nomenclature, nature, analysis, reactions, synthesis, and utility. The contents consist of the IUPAC nomenclature, the electronic states and bonding of molecules, three-dimensional structures of molecules, the instrumental analysis of molecular structures (NMR, IR, MS), reactions of each functional group, the carbon-carbon bond formation and organic synthesis, and utility of natural and artificial organic compounds, which will be lectured according to the textbook, with the theoretical background and relationship between the topics being mentioned.
At the outset, this course allows the student to firmly learn the general knowledge and theory common to individual topics, such as the nomenclature of compounds, electronic states and bonding of molecules and their nature and structures owing to the former, and the electronic theory of organic chemistry essential to the description of reaction mechanisms. At the next stage, the students will proceed to study reactions unique to each functional group and the instrumental analysis of molecular structures, which are not only memorized but also well interpreted by them on the basis of the above general notion. While reviewing the previous two steps, the students are requested to increase their ability to understand the application of the fundamental topics, for example, the synthesis of organic compounds and utility of natural and artificial compounds. As a whole, this lecture will provide students basic knowledge and theory of organic chemistry and, at the same time, its covering area of utility of organic compounds.
Organic Chemistry II (alcohols, alkenes) aims to guide students in the world of biomolecules by getting them to learn the synthetic methods, properties, and reaction mechanisms of alcohols and ethers, which contain C, H, and O atoms, three out of four essential atoms in proteins, nucleic acids, and oligosaccharides. The course will also cover alkenes, C=C, a ubiquitous functional group in biomolecules. Understanding of alkenes is significant, because they are exploited as intermediates to useful materials. Two important instrument-based measurements, nuclear magnetic resonance spectra (NMR) and infrared spectra (IR), are also covered.

Course description and aims

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Understand that the O-H bond of alcohols tends to dissociate into an O anion and proton.
2. Recognize that the oxidation of alcohols gives aldehydes.
3. Learn how alcohols are synthesizable by the addition reactions of organometallic reagents, such as Grignard reagents, with
carbonyl compounds, and by the addition reactions with alkenes.
4. Learn how alcohols are derivatizable into haloalkanes, esters, and ethers.
5. Learn how alcohols, ethers, and carbonyl compounds can be synthesized by the addition reactions with alkenes.
6. Learn how these synthetic compounds are identified by using NMR, IR, and mass spectra.

Keywords

alcohol, ether, alkene, NMR, IR, mass spectra

Competencies

• Specialist skills
• Intercultural skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

The lecture is to be done in order according to the textbook. (Thus, students are encouraged to familiarize the expected pages of the textbook in advance to the class and to review them after the class.) Students are given concise exercise problems for the last 10 minutes of each class, and their solutions and remarks will be explained at the beginning of the next class. Three assignments will be given.

Course schedule/Objectives

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class. They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

Organic Chemistry - Structure and Function, 8th ed., K. P. C. Vollhardt and N, E. Schore, W. H. Freeman and Co., New York, 2018.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Organic Chemistry - Structure and Function, 8th ed., K. P. C. Vollhardt and N, E. Schore, W. H. Freeman and Co., New York, 2018.
Study Guide and Solutions - Manual for Organic Chemistry, 8th ed., N, E. Schore, W. H.
Handouts (T2SCHOLA)

Evaluation methods and criteria

Students will be assessed on the concise exercise problems in each class (30%) and three comprehension tests (70%).

Related courses

• LST.A202 ： Organic Chemistry I (alkanes and haloalkanes)
• LST.A212 ： Organic Chemistry III (benzene and ketones)
• LST.A217 ： Organic Chemistry IV (carbonyl compounds and amines)
• LST.A333 ： Bioorganic Chemistry
• LST.A343 ： Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Prerequisites

N/A

Other

As there is no duplication of the contents from Organic Chemistry I (alkanes and haloalkanes) to IV (carbonyl compounds and amines), the systematic study in this order will maximize its efficiency. Therefore, students are advised to enroll all of them in serial order. After completion of these courses, more advanced lectures, Bioorganic Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, are available. Thus, students can proceed to the higher level of organic chemistry by taking one or both of them, dependent on their interest.