Designing Organic Syntheses: A Programmed Introduction to the Synthon Approach [Paperback]

Stuart Warren (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 1978 | ISBN-10: 0471996122 | ISBN-13: 978-0471996125 | Edition: 1

Teaches students to use the language of sythesis directly (utilizing the grammar of synthon and disconnection) rather than translating it into that of organic chemistry.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Teaches students to use the language of sythesis directly (utilizing the grammar of synthon and disconnection) rather than translating it into that of organic chemistry.

From the Back Cover

This programmed book aims to teach students to design organic syntheses for themselves. Almost all available books on synthesis describe methods and syntheses already carried out by others. This book confronts the student with the problem of synthesizing molecules given nothing but their structure. The synthon approach is used: disconnections breaking the molecule into useable fragments (synthons) are introduced to the student who then teaches himself how to use them by solving a series of problems of steadily increasing difficulty. Though the book has the form of a programme it is not a conventional programmed text. There are no multiple choice questions. Instead, the student has a planned sequence of problems designed to demonstrate the use of each new concept and to test his understanding of it. Each problem is followed by possible solutions and full explanations, so that if the student fails to solve a problem he will still understand the answer better for having attempted the problem himself. The student therefore has the possibility of continuous self-assessment through the use of a large number of problems.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 285 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 28, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471996122
• ISBN-13: 978-0471996125
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #925,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most engaging book on the logic of synthesis I have read., January 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Designing Organic Syntheses: A Programmed Introduction to the Synthon Approach (Paperback)

Back in the early '80s, I struggled with synthetic problems in sophomore organic. All my teachers told the classes to try retrosynthesis, but they were not able to communicate just how, in practice, this should work. After reading just 2 or 3 chapters (and they are short--I read them over dinner one evening), I thought I would go crazy with excitement. Things suddenly made so much sense. I think I lost a lot of sleep during the next few days as I devoured the little book. Few other chemistry books--if any--ever have engaged me so. In a class of its own.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Synthon Approach book, February 10, 2000

By 

Cafer Tayyar YAVUZ - See all my reviews

This review is from: Designing Organic Syntheses: A Programmed Introduction to the Synthon Approach (Paperback)

In addition to the comment above (by [e-mail]) i wanna say that Since the all synthesis mechanisms in the book are tried in real time, we can trust to the plans described as retrosynthetic methods.This helps us to use the methods without any doubt.More specificly i can say that when i was reading book i sometimes surprised:'How can this selectivity occurs!'.But in fact it was so and i had to accept and try to find its reason..For the last word,it really worths its high cost..

3.0 out of 5 stars Assumes you're already an expert, August 28, 2009

By 

achiral "chemstudent" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Designing Organic Syntheses: A Programmed Introduction to the Synthon Approach (Paperback)

The author coaches the reader through retrosynthetic analysis. He does a good job of explaining why specific bonds are chosen to be broken, giving a solid overall strategy to designing a synthesis. What he assumes is that the reader is an expert in chemical transformations. In other words, if you wanted to create an amino-substituted aromatic, he assumes you know that you could (as well as knowing how to) attach a nitro group and then reduce it. The author makes no attempt, either as a review chapter or appendix, to bring the reader up to speed on such matters. I suspect the book was created as part of the author's teaching duties and that his students were provided information separately that would fill in the gaps.

Looking through my organic chemistry text, Organic Chemistry by P. Y. Bruice, the retrosynthetic approaches are in there with information on how to effect the transformations. I should have saved the money and just reviewed the Bruice text.