Author Profile

James Ashenhurst an organic chemist originally comes from Glen Williams, Ontario, Canada. After undergraduate studies at Queen's University, he obtained Ph.D. in organic chemistry from McGill University (2006) and then did a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at MIT (2006-2008). Following a Fellowship at Toronto and Brussels, he returned to Harvard, where he has served as Chairman of the Department of Chemistry and is the Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Chemistry.

About The Book

Class-tested and thoughtfully designed for student engagement Organic Chemistry provides the tools and foundations needed by students in a short course or one-semester class on the subject. This book does not dilute the material or rely on rote memorization. Rather, it focuses on the underlying principles in order to make accessible the science that underpins so much of our dayto-day lives, as well as present further study and practice in medical and scientific fields. This book provides context and structure for learning the fundamental principles of organic chemistry, enabling the reader to proceed from simple to complex examples in a systematic and logical way. Utilizing clear and consistently colored figures, Principles of Organic Chemistry begins by exploring the step-by-step processes (or mechanisms) by which reactions occur to create molecular structures. It then describes some of the many ways these reactions make new compounds, examined by functional groups and corresponding common reaction mechanisms. Throughout, this book includes biochemical and pharmaceutical examples with varying degrees of difficulty, with worked answers and without, as well as advanced topics in later chapters for optional coverage. This book is written for a one-semester course in organic chemistry, where content must be comprehensive but to the point. Only those topics needed for a brief course are covered, yet the important pedagogical tools commonly found in larger books are also maintained. The text gives students a solid understanding of organic chemistry by stressing how fundamental reaction mechanisms function and reactions occur. Organic Chemistry is written with clear explanations, thought-provoking examples and problems, and the trademark vertical format for explaining reaction mechanisms. Organic Chemistry discusses the basic concept e.g., includes detailed description of organic molecules, functional groups and the nomenclature of the organic molecules. This book also discusses the notion of acids and bases and stereochemistry of the organic molecules along with the description of amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, alcohol and ethers. It provides the reader with the insights of basic organic chemistry so as to understand the basic organic reactions and the application of spectroscopy to study organic molecules. Organic Chemistry is meant for students who learn organic chemistry at the undergraduate level and who have already had exposure to the basics of chemistry, including an introduction to organic chemistry.

Table of Contents

Preface
1. Foundational Concepts of Organic Chemistry
2. Concept of Acids and Bases
3. Alkanes
4. Cycloalkanes
5. Haloalkanes
6. Alkenes
7. Alkynes
8. Alcohols
9. Ethers
10. Amines
11. Aromatics
12. Ketones and Aldehydes
13. Carboxylic Acids
14. Analytical Techniques
15. Introduction to Reactions
16. Chemical Bonding
17. Stereochemistry
18. Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution
19. Buckminsterfullerene
20. Pericyclic Reactions
Bibliography
Index