Organic synthesis

Organic synthesis is the construction of organic molecules via chemical processes. Organic molecules can often contain a higher level of complexity compared to purely inorganic compounds, so the synthesis of organic compounds has developed into one of the most important aspects of organic chemistry. There are two main areas of research fields within the general area of organic synthesis- total synthesis and methodology.

References

• K. C. Nicolaou, E. J. Sorensen, Classics in Total Synthesis, VCH, New York, 1996.
• R. B. Woodward, M. P. Cava, W. D. Ollis, A. Hunger, H. U. Daeniker, K. Schenker, Journal of the American Chemical Society 76, 4749 (1954).
• J. March, D. Smith, Advanced Organic Chemistry, 5th ed., Wiley, New York, 2001.
• E. J. Corey, X-M. Cheng, The Logic of Chemical Synthesis, Wiley, New York, 1995.
• Matthew H. Todd, Computer-aided organic synthesis, Chemical Society Reviews, 34, 247-266 (2005). A very readable review available online (Subscription required).