Acyclic or Open Chain Compounds
When organic compounds are formed by joining carbon atoms in the form of an open chain they are called Open Chain organic compounds. Initially, they are called Aliphatic compounds because they are derived from either animal fats or vegetable fats.
They are further classified as either straight-chain compounds or branched-chain compounds.
Straight Chain Compounds
In straight-chain compounds, the carbon skeleton is in the form of a straight chain. Examples of straight-chain include
- n-Butane: CH3−CH2−CH2−CH3
Branched Chain Compounds
In Branched chain compounds the carbon skeleton is in the form of a branched chain. Examples of branch-chain include,
- Isobutane:
Classification of Organic Compounds
Organic compounds are defined as chemical compounds which contain carbon atoms linked with other elements through simple covalent bonds. These elements could be connected by single covalent bonds, double covalent bonds, or triple covalent bonds. In other words, we can say that all organic compounds contain carbon as their central atom. We must note that all compounds containing carbon are not considered organic compounds, such as carbonates(-CO3), bicarbonates(-HCO3), etc are carbon-containing compounds but not organic. Whereas we can say with surety that all organic compounds contain carbon atoms but vice versa is not true.
In this article, we will learn about organic compounds and their various classification based on bonds, functional groups, and structure. As there are millions of organic compounds and studying them individually is not possible. Therefore, the classification of organic compounds is required. So, let’s start learning about Organic Compounds and their classification.