The Stereochemistry Of Radical Addition Reactions

As little as a decade ago, radicals were regarded as interesting reactive intermediates with little synthetic use. However, recent results show that radicals have an enormous potential for applications in stereoselective reactions - it's all a matter of knowing what method to use and how to apply it. Three world experts in the field have combined their expertise and present the concepts to understand and even to predict the course of stereoselective radical reactions. In addition, guidelines are established which will enable the readers to plan and carry out their own stereoselective syntheses with radicals. A comprehensive list of references provides an easy access to the primary literature. The Stereochemistry of Radical Reactions is a highly topical introduction to this burgeoning field of research. Both advanced students and researchers active in the field will welcome this book as a source of concepts and ideas.

Samir Zard provides a description of radical reactions and their applications in organic synthesis. This book shows that an with an elementary knowledge of kinetic and some common sense, it is possible to harness radicals into a tremendously powerful tool for solving synthetic problems.

Volume 4 focuses on additions and the resulting substitutions at carbon-carbon &pgr;-bonds. Part 1 includes processes generally considered as simple polar reactions, reactive electrophiles and nucleophiles adding to alkenes and alkynes. A major topic is Michael-type addition to electron deficient &pgr;-bonds, featured in the first six chapters. In part 2 are collected the four general processes leading to nucleophilic aromatic substitution, including radical chain processes and transition metal activation through to &pgr;-complexation. Metal-activated addition (generally by nucleophiles) to alkenes and polyenes is presented in part 3, including allylic alkylation catalyzed by palladium. The coverage of nonpolar additions in part 4 includes radical additions, organometal addition (Heck reaction), carbene addition, and 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions.

This text is designed to teach students how to write organic reaction mechanisms. It starts from the absolute basics - counting the numbers of electrons around a simple atom. Then, in small steps, the text progresses to advanced mechanisms. the end, all the major mechanistic routes have been covered. The text is in the form of interactive sections, which are designed to facilitate the assimilation of the information conveyed, so that by the end the student should already know the contents without the need for extensive revision.