1st Edition

A Q&A Approach to Organic Chemistry

By Michael B. Smith Copyright 2020
    358 Pages 100 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    538 Pages 100 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    A Q&A Approach to Organic Chemistry is a book of leading questions that begins with atomic orbitals and bonding. All critical topics are covered, including bonding, nomenclature, stereochemistry, conformations, acids and bases, oxidations, reductions, substitution, elimination, acyl addition, acyl substitution, enolate anion reactions, the Diels–Alder reaction and sigmatropic rearrangements, aromatic chemistry, spectroscopy, amino acids and proteins, and carbohydrates and nucleosides. All major reactions are covered. In all chapters, there are leading questions to focus attention on a principle or reaction and the answer is immediately provided. Each chapter includes end-of-chapter homework questions with the answer keys in an Appendix at the end of the book. This book is envisioned to be a supplementary guide to be used with virtually any available undergraduate organic chemistry textbook. This book allows for a "self-guided" approach that is useful as one studies for a coursework exam or as one reviews organic chemistry for postgraduate exams.

    Key Features:

    • Allows a "self-guided tour" of organic chemistry
    • Discusses all important areas and fundamental reactions of organic chemistry
    • Classroom tested
    • Useful as a study guide that will supplement most organic chemistry textbooks
    • Assists one in study for coursework exams or allows one to review organic chemistry for postgraduate exams
    • Includes 21 chapters of leading questions that covers all major topics and major reactions of organic chemistry, with the answers immediately after

    CHAPTER ONE.  ORBITALS AND BONDING

     

    1.1 ORBITALS

                    1.1.A.  ATOMIC ORBITALS

                    1.1.B. ELECTRON CONFIGURATION

                    1.1.C. MOLECULAR ORBITALS

    1.2 BONDING

                    1.2.A. IONIC BONDING

                    1.2.B. COVALENT BONDING

    1.3 HYBRIDIZATION

    1.4. RESONANCE

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER TWO.  STRUCTURE OF MOLECULES

     

    2.1.  BASIC STRUCTURE OF ORGANIC MOLECULES

                    2.1.A.  Fundamental Structures

                    2.1.B.  Structures With Other Atoms Bonded to Carbon

    2.2. THE VSEPR MODEL AND MOLECULAR GEOMETRY

    2.3.  DIPOLE MOMENT

    2.4.  FUNCTIONAL GROUPS

    2.5.  FORMAL CHARGE

    2.6. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS.

     

    CHAPTER THREE.  ACIDS AND BASES

     

    3.1 ACIDS AND BASES

    3.2  ENERGETICS

    3.3. THE ACIDITY CONSTANT, Ka

    3.4. STRUCTURAL FEATURES  THAT INFLUENCE ACIDITY

    3.5.  FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING THE ACID MORE ACIDIC

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER FOUR.  ALKANES, ISOMERS, AND NOMENCLATURE

     

    4.1. DEFINITION AND BASIC NOMENCLATURE

    4.2. STRUCTURAL ISOMERS

    4.3. IUPAC NOMENCLATURE

    4.4. CYCLIC ALKANES

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER FIVE. CONFORMATIONS

     

    5.1. ACYCLIC CONFORMATIONS

    5.2. CONFORMATIONS OF CYCLIC MOLECULES

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER SIX. STEREOCHEMISTRY

     

    6.1. CHIRALITY

    6.2. SPECIFIC ROTATION

    6.3. SEQUENCE RULES

    6.4. DIASTEREOMERS

    6.5. OPTICAL RESOLUTION

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER SEVEN. ALKENES AND ALKYNES:

    STRUCTURE, NOMENCLATURE AND REACTIONS

     

    7.1. STRUCTURE OF ALKENES

    7.2. NOMENCLATURE OF ALKENES

    7.3.  REACTIONS OF ALKENES

    7.4. REACTION OF ALKENES WITH LEWIS ACID REAGENTS

                    7.4.A. Hydroxylation

                    7.4.B. Epoxidation

                    7.4.C. Dihydroxylation

                    7.4.D. Halogenation

                    7.4.E. Hydroboration

    7.5. STRUCTURE AND NOMENCLATURE OF ALKYNES

    7.6 . REACTIONS OF ALKYNES

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER EIGHT.  ALKYL HALIDES AND SUBSTITUTION REACTIONS

     

    8.1.  STRUCTURE, PROPERTIES AND NOMENCLATURE OF ALKYL HALIDES

    8.2. SECOND ORDER NUCLEOPHILIC SUBSTITUTION (SN2) REACTIONS

    8.3.  OTHER NUCLEOPHILES IN SN2 REACTIONS

    8.4. FIRST ORDER NUCLEOPHILIC SUBSTITUTION (SN1) REACTIONS

    8.5.  COMPETITION BETWEEN SN2 VS. SN1 REACTIONS

    8.6.  RADICAL HALOGENATION OF ALKANES

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER NINE. ELIMINATION REACTIONS

     

    9.1. THE E2 REACTION

    9.2. THE E1 REACTION

    9.3. PREPARATION OF ALKYNES

    9.4. SYN ELIMINATION

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER TEN. ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS

     

    10.1  ORGANOMETALLICS

    10.2.  ORGANOMAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS

    10.3  ORGANOLITHIUM COMPOUNDS

    10.4.  BASICITY

    10.5.  REACTION WITH EPOXIDES

    10.6.  OTHER METALS

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER ELEVEN. SPECTROSCOPY

     

    11.1. THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM

    11.2. MASS SPECTROMETRY (MS)

    11.3. INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY (IR)

    11.4. NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY (NMR)

    End of Chapter Problems

     

    CHAPTER TWELVE. ALDEHYDES AND KETONES.  ACYL ADDITION REACTIONS

     

    12.1  STRUCTURE AND NOMENCLATURE OF ALDEHYDES AND KETONES

    12.2. REACTION OF ALDEHYDES AND KETONES WITH WEAK NUCLEOPHILES

    12.3.  REACTIONS OF ALDEHYDES AND KETONES.  STRONG NUCLEOPHILES

    12.4.  THE WITTIG REACTION

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER THIRTEEN. OXIDATION REACTIONS

     

    13.1.  OXIDATION REACTIONS OF ALKENES

    13.2  OXIDATION OF ALKENES:  EPOXIDATION

    13.3.  OXIDATIVE CLEAVAGE: OZONOLYSIS

    13.4.  OXIDATIVE CLEAVAGE.   PERIODIC ACID CLEAVAGE OF 1,2-DIOLS

    13.5.  OXIDATION OF ALCOHOLS TO ALDEHYDES OR KETONES

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER FOURTEEN.  REDUCTION REACTIONS

     

    14.1. CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION

    14.2. DISSOLVING METAL REDUCTION: ALKYNES

    14.3.  HYDRIDE REDUCTION OF ALDEHYDES AND KETONES

    14.4.  CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION AND DISSOLVING METAL REDUCTIONS. ALDEHYDES AND KETONES

    End of Chapter Problems

     

    CHAPTER FIFTEEN. CARBOXYLIC ACIDS, CARBOXYLIC ACID DERIVATIVES

    AND ACYL SUBSTITUTION REACTIONS

     

    15.1.  STRUCTURE OF CARBOXYLIC ACIDS

    15.2.  PREPARATION OF CARBOXYLIC ACIDS

    15.3.  CARBOXYLIC ACID DERIVATIVES

    15.4.  PREPARATION OF ACID DERIVATIVES

    15.5  HYDROLYSIS OF CARBOXYLIC ACID DERIVATIVES

    15.6.  REACTIONS OF CARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND ACID DERIVATIVES

    15.7.  DIBASIC CARBOXYLIC ACIDS

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER SIXTEEN. BENZENE, AROMATICITY, AND BENZENE DERIVATIVES

     

    16.1. BENZENE AND NOMENCLATURE OF AROMATIC COMPOUNDS

    16.2.  ELECTROPHILIC AROMATIC SUBSTITUTION

    16.3  SYNTHESIS VIA AROMATIC SUBSTITUTION

    16.4.  NUCLEOPHILIC AROMATIC SUBSTITUTION

    16.5.  REDUCTION OF BENZENE AND BENZENE DERIVATIVES

    16.6.  POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC COMPOUNDS AND HETEROAROMATIC COMPOUNDS

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. ENOLATE ANIONS AND CONDENSATION REACTIONS

     

    17.1   ALDEHYDES, KETONES, ENOLS, AND ENOLATE ANIONS

    17.2.   ENOLATE ALKYLATION

    17.3. CONDENSATION REACTIONS OF ENOLATE ANIONS AND ALDEHYDES OR KETONES

    17.4.  ENOLATE ANIONS FROM CARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND DERIVATIVES

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. CONJUGATION AND

    REACTIONS OF CONJUGATED COMPOUNDS

     

    18.1. CONJUGATED MOLECULES

    18.2. STRUCTURE AND NOMENCLATURE OF CONJUGATED SYSTEMS

    18.3.  REACTIONS OF CONJUGATED MOLECULES

    18.4.  THE DIELS-ALDER REACTION

    18.5.  [3+2]-CYCLOADDITION REACTIONS

    18.6.  SIGMATROPIC REARRANGEMENTS

    18.7. ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROSCOPY

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER NINETEEN. AMINES

     

    19.1. STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES

    19.2.  PREPARATION OF AMINES

    19.3. REACTIONS OF AMINES

    19.4. HETEROCYCLIC AMINES

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER TWENTY. AMINO ACIDS, PEPTIDES AND PROTEINS

     

    20.1 AMINO ACIDS

    20.2. SYNTHESIS OF AMINO ACIDS

    20.3. REACTIONS OF AMINO ACIDS

    20.4. PROTEINS

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.  CARBOHYDRATES AND NUCLEIC ACIDS

     

    21.1.  CARBOHYDRATES

    21.2. DISACCHARIDES AND POLYSACCHARIDES

    21.3. SYNTHESIS OF CARBOHYDRATES

    21.4. REACTIONS OF CARBOHYDRATES

    21.5. NUCLEIC ACIDS, NUCLEOTIDES AND NUCLEOSIDES

    END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

     

    ANSWERS TO END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS

    Biography

    Professor Michael B. Smith was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1946 and moved to Madison Heights, Virginia in 1957, where he attended high school at Amherst County High School. He received an A.A. from Ferrum College in 1967 and a B.S. in chemistry from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1969. After working for three years at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. in Newport News VA as an analytical chemist, he entered graduate school at Purdue University. He received a Ph.D. in Organic chemistry in 1977, under the auspices of Professor Joe Wolinsky. Professor Smith spent one year as a faculty research associate at the Arizona State University with Professor G. Robert Pettit, working on the isolation of cytotoxic principles from plants and sponges. He spent a second year of postdoctoral work with Professor Sidney M. Hecht at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, working on the synthesis of bleomycin A2.

    Professor Smith began his academic career at the University of Connecticut in 1979, where he achieved the rank of professor of chemistry. In 1986 he spent a sabbatical leave in the laboratories of Professor Leon Ghosez, at the Université Catholique de Louvain in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, as a visiting professor. He retired as a full professor from the University of Connecticut on January 1, 2017, and is currently pursuing his interests as an author.

    There are many organic chemistry textbooks on the market, adopting a range of approaches. This volume by Smith (emer., Univ. of Connecticut) is organized around a series of leading questions to provide students with a supplementary resource for studying organic chemistry. As explained in the preface, the volume represents an update of an earlier work published by HarperCollins (in1993 and 2006), intended for use as a study guide alongside an organic chemistry textbook. The current volume is likewise suggested as a supplement. The text follows the outline of textbooks that present organic chemistry in terms of a functional group approach. Such familiar organizational structure will help students find their way in this text. Uniquely, rather than presenting topics and subtopics discursively within the text, the chapters immediately move to leading questions, as in a pre-exam review. Thus, students might have to hunt a little through the table of contents and each section to find the relevant questions they might need to review. The index should be helpful for such a scenario, as it is organized using a keywords approach. The book will be useful for undergraduate newcomers to organic chemistry, students of the discipline reviewing for professional or graduate school exams, and as a unique reference resource for academic libraries.

    --P. W. Baures, Keene State College

    Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates.