Course Title

Organic chemistry for health sciences II

Course Number

10231330

Instructor Name

Mohammed Hawash

Contact Information

[email protected]

Semester(s) and academic year(s)

Second Semester 2026
Second Semester 2025
First Semester 2025
Second Semester 2024
Second Semester 2023
Second Semester 2022

Compulsory / Elective

Compulsory

This course includes the study of cyclic, non-aromatic and aromatic compounds and their chemical reactions, types of displacement, reaction mechanisms and analytical methods of different types (NMR); identification of compounds, binary structure; the course is also a study of functional groups such as acids, and their derivatives, heterocyclic compounds, ether and conjugated compounds; phenols, alcohols and reaction mechanisms of the aforementioned.

The objective of this course is to deepen pharmacy students’ understanding of the chemistry of organic compounds relevant to pharmaceutical sciences. It focuses on the nomenclature, structures, physical and chemical properties, and reaction mechanisms of alcohols, ethers, phenols, conjugated systems, aromatic and heterocyclic compounds, as well as carbonyl-containing compounds like aldehydes and ketones. The course also aims to equip students with the ability to interpret spectroscopic data, particularly NMR, to analyze and determine the structure of organic molecules. Through theoretical and practical approaches, students will develop the skills necessary to propose reaction pathways, synthesize active pharmaceutical agents, and apply retrosynthetic strategies, all of which are essential for advanced studies in medicinal chemistry and drug development.

1. Understand the fundamental principles of organic chemistry related to pharmaceutical sciences, including the IUPAC and common nomenclature, structural features, chemico-physical properties, and mechanisms of organic reactions involving alcohols, ethers, phenols, aromatic and heterocyclic compounds, and carbonyl derivatives.
2. Apply analytical techniques, particularly NMR spectroscopy, to identify and interpret the chemical structure of organic compounds, enabling accurate structure elucidation and assessment of compound behavior.
3. Develop intellectual and critical thinking skills to design organic molecules, propose reaction mechanisms, and construct synthetic and retrosynthetic pathways for pharmaceutical compounds based on structural and mechanistic understanding.
4. Cultivate essential transferable skills such as independent learning, literature review, scientific presentation, online database searching, and effective teamwork, particularly in seminar-based activities and collaborative problem-solving tasks.

-Organic Chemistry, L.G. Wade, Jr. Sixth edition

- Published scientific papers.   (Journal of organic chemistry (ACS) and Organic letter (ACS))