Principles of Organic Synthesis

Organic chemistry is one of the most rapidly developing of the sciences. Each year, there are new applications of organic compounds, for example, in medicine, in agriculture, and in the new technologies such as optoelectronics and supercon- ductors; tens of thousands of new compounds are synthesized or isolated from natural sources; and new synthetic methods and reagents are introduced. It might seem to the student that ever more needs to be learned. Fortunately that is not so. The profound increase in our understanding of the pathways by which organic compounds react - their mechanisms of reaction - has provided a relatively simple superstructure on which the vast array of the facts of the subject can be hung. The mechanistic principles are relatively few, and yet they account for the enormous range of reactions of organic compounds. The purpose of this book is to show how these principles can be applied both to acquiring a knowledge of organic synthetic processes and to planning the construction of organic compounds. It is designed for those who have had no more than a brief introduction to organic chemistry. Nor is it intended to be com- prehensive; for example, the vast body of evidence on which reaction mechanisms are based is not included, nor are experimental details given. The object has been to convey a broad understanding rather than to produce a reference text.

Table of Contents:
Part One: Chemical thermodynamics. Molecular structure. Chemical kinetics. Mechanism. Stereochemistry. Part Two: Formation of carbon-carbo bonds: organometallic reagents. Formation of aliphatic carbon-carbon bonds: base-catalyzed. Formation of aliphatic carbon-carbon bonds: acid catalyzed. Pericyclic reactiions. Formation of aliphatic carbon-nitrogen bonds. Electrophilic aromatic substitution. Nucleophylic aromatic substitution. Aromatic diazonium salts. Molecular rearrangements. Reagents containing phosphorus, sulphur or boron. Photochemical reactions. Free-radical reactions. Organotransition metal reagents. Oxidation. Reduction. Organotransition metal regents. The synthesis of five and six-membered heterocyclic compounds. The synthesis of some naturally occurring compounds. Index.

Review :
It is an absolute 'must' for the reading list of all teachers of organic chemistry and I am sure it will become included in the reading lists of their students. - Nature; A very good book which is likely to become extremely popular. Organic chemists at all levels of training and experience will find it to be a worthwhile acquisition. - Chemistry & Industry; This is a very good book and the treatment of organic chemistry is much wider than the title indicates. - Endeavour; I recommend it as a general text for students...the authors have produced a clear, modern text which covers an enormous amount of chemistry... - Education in Chemistry; Since its first publication in 1968, this book has become virtually th de facto textbook for organic synthesis in UK universities...This third edition brings the content up to date with recent developments in organic synthesis, and will ensure a continued use as a standard undergraduate text. - Chemistry in Britain; This third edition brings the content up to date with recent developments in organic synthesis, and will ensure its continued use as a standard undergraduate text. |oChemistry in Britain |dJune 1994