Organics

Organic Structures• Many materials that forensic scientists collect at a

crime scene are organic in nature.• Carbon atoms make the backbone of all organic

structures.• This is because carbon is able to make four stable

bonds which provides a lot of variety in bonding possibilities.

• The carbon chains can change their behavior depending on the type of bond as well.

• How they are shaped determines not only how they interact with the body or environment, but also in the method of detection and identification.

Carbon – Carbon bonds• Carbon can make single

bonds (a sharing of one pair of electrons) with other carbons or other elements.

• Carbon can also make double bonds (a sharing of two pairs of electrons) or triple bonds (3 pairs of electrons)

More Carbon – Carbon bonds• Carbon chains

can also make a ring structure or single bonds.

• The ring can also contain double bonds.

• Alternating single and double bonded rings are called aromatics.

Benzene or a phenyl group

Branches• Off of the main chains or rings can be carbon

branches.• In addition, rings may connect and link up.

Functional groups• When oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur

get involved they change the function of the whole molecule.

• There are many functional groups.• Ones containing the an OH bonded to the carbon

chain are called alcohols. (cholesterol?)

Carbonyl group• The carbonyl group is when a carbon is double

bonded to and oxygen.• These are called aldehydes or ketones if the

carbonyl group is not attached to other oxygen, nitrogen, or other functional atoms.

Organic Acids and Esters

• Carboxylic acids have a carbonyl group and an alcohol group off of the same carbon.

• Esters have a carbonyl group and an oxygen linking to a second chain off of the same carbon.

Ethers and Epoxys

• Ethers have an oxygen linking two carbon chains.

• Epoxys have an oxygen that is attached to two carbons on the same chain.

Amines and Amides

• Amines have a nitrogen single bonded to a carbon.

• Amides have a nitrogen single bonded and an oxygen double bonded to the same carbon.

Nitriles and Nitro groups

• Nitriles have a triple bond between the nitrogen and carbon.

• Nitro groups are nitrogens with two oxygens.

Name the functional groups

Synthetic CannabinoidPhenethylamine

Name the functional groups

Oxycodone