This presentation is a brief overview on the unique properties of carbon which made study of its compounds a separate branch of Chemistry.

1. 1
An Introduction to Organic
Chemistry
By
Dr. ASHA S
Assistant Professor of
Chemistry
Govt. Polytechnic College,
Chelakkara, Thrissur, Kerala

3. Evolution of Organic chemistry
Vital force theory by Berzelius (1815)
“Organic compounds are produced only under the influence
of some mysterious force existing in the living organisms”
“Vitalism”

4. Evolution of Organic chemistry
“Father of organic chemistry”
Synthesis of Ammonia by Friedrich Wohler (1828)
Falsification of vitalism
Synthesis of Acetic acid by Kolbe (1845)
Synthesis of Methane by Berthelot (1856)

5. Why are carbon compounds studied as a separate
branch of chemistry?
Uniqueness of carbon
Tetravalency

6. Catenation
Uniqueness of carbon
Self linking
property

7. Tendency to form multiple bonds
 Isomerism
Uniqueness of carbon
Same
molecular formula,but
different structural
formula and different
compounds

8. Study of the structures and reactions of carbon compounds
Millions of
organic
compounds

9. Applications