A Foundation Course for College Organic Chemistry

To understand and improve the underlying principles that govern how organic reactions occur, A Foundation Course for College Organic Chemistry follows a brick-by-brick building approach. Emphasis is given to interrelating experimental facts and findings with predictions (mechanism) and inferences (results). Discussions focus on clarifying how complex organic reactions occur, which is based on electronegativity differences, movement of electrons (through framework or bonds), and addition or removal of atoms (hydrogen, halogens) or groups (hydroxy, amino). The book begins with simple rules governing the deconstruction of reactions and applies them to explain how esterification, amide, and cyanide hydrolysis reactions proceed. The importance of stereochemistry (used in drug development, biology, and medicine), aromatic electrophilic and nucleophilic substitutions, reaction kinetics, and dynamics is explained with suitable examples. Features: A systematic and structured approach is used to study all aspects of reactive intermediates (generation, structure, geometry, and reactions of carbocations, carbanions, and carbon-free radicals). This book incorporates scientific methods to deduce reaction mechanisms with simple and relevant explanations, and limitations. A proper explanation is given to understand the influence of functional groups on the stability and reactivity of intermediates, pKa, HSAB principles, structure-activity relations, and how these can be exploited in organic chemistry. Information is presented in an accessible way for students, teachers, researchers, and scientists.