Question

Name the first organic compound that is prepared in the laboratory ?

Answer 1

The first organic compound prepared in the laboratory is urea. German chemist Friedrich Wohler prepared urea in a laboratory in $1828$ from ammonium cyanate. Nowadays urea is prepared commercially from liquid ammonia and liquid carbon. It is a nitrogenous compound containing a carbonyl group attached to two amine groups.

Complete answer:

                          Structure of urea 

> $N{H_4}CNO \to {({H_2}N)_2}CO$; Ammonium cyanate is an inorganic compound while urea is an organic compound. Wohler prepared urea without involving living organisms. In the point of starting modern organic chemistry he has been dubbed as the father of organic chemistry. Let's have a look at some important uses of urea and its properties.
- Human urine has a major organic component as urea.
- Urea is used as a fertilizer due to it’s high levels of nitrogen.
- Dry, rough skin conditions can be treated by urea. It is also helpful in removing dead tissues.
- Urea dissolves in the kidney and blood excretes it in urine.
- It is non-toxic, colourless and can be dissolved in water.
- In urea there is a carbonyl group attached to two amide groups. In a carbonyl group, a double bonded carbon atom bonded to an oxygen atom.
- It is also called carbamide and can be readily prepared from carbon dioxide and ammonia.
- Urea behaves as a weak mono acidic base.

Note : Wohler has prepared urea by treating silver cyanate with ammonium chloride which forms ammonium cyanate and further gives urea. This was the first time when an organic compound was synthesized from inorganic materials ; $AgNCO + N{H_4}Cl \to {({H_2}N)_2}CO + AgCl$ .