Classics in total synthesis

by K. C. Nicolaou

This book is a must for every synthetic organic chemist. With didactic skill and clarity, K. C. Nicolaou and E. J. Sorensen present the most remarkable and ingenious total syntheses from the laboratories of some of the world's greatest synthetic organic chemists. To make the strategies more understandable and accessible, especially to the novice, each total synthesis is first analyzed retrosynthetically. The authors then carefully describe each step and comment on alternative methods and potential pitfalls. When appropriate, key chemical reactions are discussed in the wider context of the chemical literature, giving the reader a lesson in both total synthesis and synthetic methods. Diverse structural types of natural products and important organic transformations including pericyclic, ionic, radical, and photochemical reactions are covered. Catalysis, asymmetric synthesis, organometallic chemistry, and cyclization reactions are especially highlighted. Mechanism, reactivity, selectivity