Product Description

One approach to organic synthesis is retrosynthetic analysis. With this approach a chemist will start with the structure of their target molecule and progressively cut bonds to create simpler molecules. Reversing this process gives a synthetic route to the target molecule from simpler starting materials. This “disconnection” approach to synthesis is now a fundamental part of every organic synthesis course.

Organic Synthesis: The Disconnection Approach, 2^nd Edition introduces this important technique, to help students to design their own organic syntheses. There are forty chapters: those on the synthesis of given types of molecules alternate with strategy chapters in which the methods just learnt are placed in a wider context. The synthesis chapters cover many ways of making each type of molecule starting with simple aromatic and aliphatic compounds with one functional group and progressing to molecules with many functional groups. The strategy chapters cover questions of selectivity, protection, stereochemistry, and develop more advanced thinking via reagents specifically designed for difficult problems.

Examples are drawn from pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, natural products, pheromones, perfumery and flavouring compounds, dyestuffs, monomers, and intermediates used in more advanced synthetic work. Reasons for wishing to synthesise each compound are given.

This second edition has been fully revised and updated with a modern look. Recent examples and techniques are included and illustrated additional material has been added to take the student to the level required by the sequel, “Organic Synthesis: Strategy and Control”.

Several chapters contain extensive new material based on courses that the authors give to chemists in the pharmaceutical industry.

Organic Synthesis: The Disconnection Approach, 2^nd edition provides a full course in retrosynthetic analysis for chemistry and biochemistry students and a refresher for organic chemists working in industry and academia.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37132 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 344 pages

Review
“The authors have succeeded admirably in the updating of a classic in the pedagogy of organic chemistry.” ( Journal of Medicinal Chemistry , August 2009)

“This book is suitable for advanced undergraduate students, researchers and professional chemists. Both the writing and the diagrams are simple and clear.” ( Reviews, May 2009)

From the Back Cover
This book will help students to design their own organic synthesis, giving a wide coverage of synthetic methods. The disconnection approach is used throughout so that starting materials are chosen after analysing the structure of the target molecule. There are forty chapters: those on the synthesis of given types of molecule alternate with strategy chapters in which the methods just learnt are placed in a wider context. The instructional chapters cover many ways of making each type of molecule starting with simple aromatic and aliphatic compounds with one functional group and progressing to molecules with many functional groups. The number and position of these functional groups provides the classification for these chapters. The strategy chapters cover questions of selectivity, protection, and stereochemistry, and develop more advanced strategic thinking via reagents specially designed for difficult problems. Examples are drawn from pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, natural products, pheromones, perfumery and flavouring compounds, dyestuffs, monomers, and intermediates used in more advanced synthetic work. Reasons for wishing to synthesise each compound are given, and further examples can be found in the accompanying workbook which also gives many problems and solutions classified in the same way as the main text. The book will also assist more experienced chemists who feel they are out of touch with present day thinking on the subject.

Workbook for Organic Synthesis: The Disconnection Approach The workbook which supports this text provides an extra selection of examples. Each example is analysed in the same way as those in the main text with disconnections followed by synthesis, allowing the student to explore a wider range of types of target molecule and synthetic method. The main function of the workbook is, however, to provide a graded series of problems which extend the student′s experience of the types of molecules being synthesised by organic chemists. These, together with the examples, are classified into the same 40 chapters as the main text so that it is possible to use them in conjunction with it. Each problem is followed by a suggested solution or solutions analysed in the same way as the examples and no methodology other than that introduced in the main text is required. Examples and problems are interspersed to provide a developing chain of argument.

Customer Reviews

Organic Chemistry at another level...
Retrosynthesis is an incredibly logical, but yet incredibly abstract concept. For somebody who has studied organic syntheses forward to then be told to switch into reverse is quite an effort. I was dreading it. I found this book in concert with the Warren, Wothers, Greeves and Clayden text book to break it down into a logical sequence of steps and train of thought. The examples given in this book are mostly drug molecules and natural products giving this book a very applied feeling, as ultimately that is the point of learning mechanisms. The explanations are concise, but simple. Well written, detailed and informative. This book does assume prior knowledge of organic chemistry at a fairly basic level (first or second year undergraduate).

Useful for improving synthetic chemistry skills
Working through "The disconnection approach" aids the user to gain useful analytical skills for synthetic chemistry as well as helping the user get a general feel for useful reactions used over and over again in organic sythesis.

This book facilitates the application of retrosynthesis
Retrosynthetic analysis is the process of developing a strategy for the synthesis of an a particular chemical (the target). The process essentially involves the repeated use of (known) useful patterns (the jargon is 'disconnection') until a potential viable synthetic procedure from available starting materials to the target is proposed/discovered.

E.J. Corey (Noebl prize winner in organic chemistry) first described a formal methodology for the retrosynthetic analysis in the 70's. That is, he described a strategy in which '(retro)synthesis patterns' could be applied. This was great work and others started to think in the same fashion after Corey published his ideas. However, the field really took off after the publication of this book in 1982. The reason for this is that Warren was able to teach others how to use(!) the retrosynthetic methodology. He did this by: 1) Knowing the skill level of his audience (3rd level univeristy student + post-graduate) 2) Highly structuring the material so that the reader progressively develops an understanding of the subject; and very importently 3) provide a number of very clear and useful examples (and an associated workbook completely filled with worked examples).

A great way to learn about this detailed subject. A classic!