Organic Chemistry Terms Starting with C
Definitions of 59 organic chemistry terms that start with C, such as C Terminus, Carbinolamine, Carbocation. Plain-language explanations linked to reactions…
Terms starting with C
- C Terminus: End of a peptide containing the free carboxyl group.
- Carbinolamine: Carbon attached to both OH and nitrogen; common intermediate in imine formation.
- Carbocation: Carbon carrying a positive charge. Electron-poor and reactive.
- Carbohydrates: Sugars and related molecules made mainly from C, H, and O.
- Carbonyl Group: The important C=O functional group.
- Carboxylic Acid Derivative: Compounds related to carboxylic acids, such as esters, amides, and acid chlorides.
- Catalyst: Speeds up a reaction without being permanently consumed.
- Catalytic Hydrogenation: Adds H₂ to a multiple bond using a metal catalyst.
- Cation: Positively charged ion.
- Cellular Respiration: Biological process that converts nutrients into usable cellular energy.
- Cephalins: A group of phospholipids found in cell membranes.
- Chain Branching: Formation of side chains from a main molecular/polymer chain.
- Chain Reaction: Reaction where reactive intermediates keep producing new reactive intermediates.
- Chain-Growth Polymer: Polymer formed by adding monomers one after another to a growing chain.
- Chair Conformation: Most stable common conformation of cyclohexane.
- Chemical Shift: NMR signal position, normally measured in ppm.
- Chemically Equivalent: Nuclei with the same chemical environment and usually the same NMR shift.
- Chiral: Not superimposable on its mirror image.
- Chirality Center: Usually an sp³ carbon attached to four different groups.
- CFCs: Carbon compounds containing chlorine and fluorine, historically used as refrigerants.
- Chlorohydrin: Molecule with Cl and OH on neighboring carbons.
- Chromatogram: Graph showing signals produced during chromatography.
- Chromophore: Part of a molecule responsible for absorbing UV/visible light.
- Claisen Condensation: Joins esters to form a β-keto ester or related β-dicarbonyl.
- Claisen Rearrangement: [3,3]-Sigmatropic rearrangement that forms a new C–C bond.
- Clemmensen Reduction: Reduces aldehydes/ketones to CH₂ under strongly acidic conditions.
- Column Chromatography: Separates compounds by passing them through a stationary material in a column.
- Complex Lipid: Lipid containing extra components such as phosphate or carbohydrate groups.
- Condensation Polymer: Polymer commonly formed by joining monomers while eliminating small molecules.
- Condensed Structure: Shortened way of writing a molecular structure, such as CH₃CH₂OH.
- Configuration: Fixed 3D arrangement that normally requires bond breaking to change.
- Conformation: Different shapes produced by rotation around single bonds.
- Conjugate Acid: Species formed when a base accepts H⁺.
- Conjugate Addition: Nucleophilic addition to a conjugated system, often 1,4-addition.
- Conjugate Base: Species formed when an acid loses H⁺.
- Conjugated: Multiple bonds separated by single bonds, allowing electron delocalization.
- Conjugated Diene: Two C=C bonds separated by exactly one single bond: C=C–C=C.
- Conrotatory: Both ends rotate in the same direction during certain electrocyclic reactions.
- Conservation of Orbital Symmetry: Principle used to predict whether pericyclic reactions are allowed.
- Constitutional Isomers: Same molecular formula but different atom connectivity.
- Constructive Interference: Orbitals combine in phase, increasing electron density and forming bonding interactions.
- Continuous-Wave Spectrometer: Older NMR method that scans frequencies continuously.
- Cope Rearrangement: [3,3]-Sigmatropic rearrangement of a 1,5-diene.
- Coplanar: Atoms/groups lying in the same plane.
- Copolymer: Polymer made from more than one type of monomer.
- Coupling of Protons: NMR interaction between nearby nuclei that causes signal splitting.
- Coupling of Radicals: Two radicals combine to form a new bond.
- Coupling Constant (J): Measures NMR splitting interaction between nuclei, in Hz.
- Covalent Bond: Bond formed by sharing electrons.
- Crossed Aldol Reaction: Aldol reaction involving two different carbonyl compounds.
- Crossed Claisen Condensation: Claisen condensation involving two different ester/carbonyl partners.
- Cross-Linked Polymer: Polymer chains chemically connected to each other.
- Crown Ether: Ring-shaped polyether that can bind metal cations.
- Crystallite: Small ordered crystalline region inside a material.
- Cumulated Diene: Two double bonds sharing one carbon: C=C=C.
- Curved Arrows: Show electron-pair movement in mechanisms.
- Cyanohydrin: Carbon containing both OH and CN, often formed from a carbonyl.
- Cycloaddition Reaction: Two π systems combine to make a ring.
- Cycloalkane: Saturated hydrocarbon containing a carbon ring.
Open a term starting with C
- C Terminus
- Carbinolamine
- Carbocation
- Carbohydrates
- Carbonyl Group
- Carboxylic Acid Derivative
- Catalyst
- Catalytic Hydrogenation
- Cation
- Cellular Respiration
- Cephalins
- Chain Branching
- Chain Reaction
- Chain-Growth Polymer
- Chair Conformation
- Chemical Shift
- Chemically Equivalent
- Chiral
- Chirality Center
- CFCs
- Chlorohydrin
- Chromatogram
- Chromophore
- Claisen Condensation
- Claisen Rearrangement
- Clemmensen Reduction
- Column Chromatography
- Complex Lipid
- Condensation Polymer
- Condensed Structure
- Configuration
- Conformation
- Conjugate Acid
- Conjugate Addition
- Conjugate Base
- Conjugated
- Conjugated Diene
- Conrotatory
- Conservation of Orbital Symmetry
- Constitutional Isomers
- Constructive Interference
- Continuous-Wave Spectrometer
- Cope Rearrangement
- Coplanar
- Copolymer
- Coupling of Protons
- Coupling of Radicals
- Coupling Constant (J)
- Covalent Bond
- Crossed Aldol Reaction
- Crossed Claisen Condensation
- Cross-Linked Polymer
- Crown Ether
- Crystallite
- Cumulated Diene
- Curved Arrows
- Cyanohydrin
- Cycloaddition Reaction
- Cycloalkane