Chemistry is the science of the structure and properties of matter, and the details involving the reactivity of organic compounds.   Organic chemistry specializes in the chemistry of compounds based on carbon. 

The ability to design and synthesize molecules with specific structure and function is the ultimate goal of organic chemistry.  Four knowledge areas provide the basic theoretical skill-sets needed to master the art of SYNTHSIS. These are STRUCTURE, SPECTROSCOPY, REACTIVITY, and MECHANISM.

Organic chemistry uses these knowledge areas to provide a framework for systematically solving problems in a productive way:

The ability to correlate changes in structure with changes in energy and associated reactivity is a key to understanding molecules and their associated behavior, and give us the ability to be predictive.

Central to our understanding in the knowledge areas is the Organic Functional Group Table, which is a unique categorization of organic molecules.

View Table

Structure:

This section deals with the physcial attributes of atoms and molecules, including the details of bonding and molecular orbital structures. >>more

Reactivity:

Thermodynamic and chemical concepts involved in the progressions of a chemical reaction. >>more

Mechanism:

Detailed stepwise analysis of how a chemical reaction proceeed, including the flow of electrons, steric and electronic effects, stereochemical phenomenon, and isotope effects. >>more

Spectra:

Models for molecular spectra provide information invovling the rotational, vibrational, or electronic structure and/or properties of a molecule. >>more

Synthesis:

Analysis of approaches used to make products, including retrosynthetic, linear, convergent, combinatoric and natural product techniques. >>more