During the last two decades the photochemistry of organic molecules has grown into an important and pervasive branch of organic chemistry. In Modern Molecular Photochemistry, the author brings students up to date with the advances in this field - the development of the theory of photoreactions, the utilization of photoreactions in synthetic sequences, and the advancement of powerful laser techniques to study the mechanisms of photoreactions.

Photochemistry of Organic Compounds: From Concepts to Practice provides a hands-on guide demonstrating the underlying principles of photochemistry and, by reference to a range of organic reaction types, its effective use in the synthesis of new organic compounds and in various applications. The book presents a complete and methodical approach to the topic, Working from basic principles, discussing key techniques and studies of reactive intermediates, and illustrating synthetic photochemical procedures. Incorporating special topics and case studies covering various applications of photochemistry in chemistry, environmental sciences, biochemistry, physics, medicine, and industry. Providing extensive references to the original literature and to review articles. Concluding with a chapter on retrosynthetic photochemistry, listing key reactions to aid the reader in designing their own synthetic pathways. This book will be a valuable source of information and inspiration for postgraduates as well as professionals from a wide range of chemical and natural sciences.

This book offers an introduction to photochemistry for students with a minimal background in physical chemistry and molecular quantum mechanics. The focus is from a theoretical perspective and highlights excited state dynamics. The authors, experienced lecturers, describe the main concepts in photochemical and photophysical processes that are used as a basis to interpret classical steady-state experimental results (essentially product branching ratios and quantum yields) and the most advanced time-resolved techniques. A significant portion of the content is devoted to the computational techniques present in quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics.With its short summaries, questions and exercises, this book is aimed at graduate students, while its theoretical focus differentiates it from most introductory textbooks on photochemistry.

Photochemistry is an important facet in the study of the origin of life and prebiotic chemistry. Solar photons are the unique source of the large amounts of energy likely required to initiate the organisation of matter to produce biological life. The Miller–Urey experiment simulated the conditions thought to be present on the early earth and supported the hypothesis that under such conditions complex organic compounds could be synthesised from simpler inorganic precursors. The experiment inspired many others, including the production of various alcohols, aldehydes and organic acids through UV-photolysis of water vapour with carbon monoxide. This book covers the photochemical aspects of the study of prebiotic and origin of life chemistry an ideal companion for postgraduates and researchers in prebiotic chemistry, photochemistry, photobiology, chemical biology and astrochemistry.

Organic Photochemistry outlines the principles, techniques and well-known reactions occurring in organic molecules and also illustrates more complex photochemical transformations occurring in organic chemistry. Many photochemical transformations convert simple molecules into extremely complex products with an ease not approached by the standard synthetic chemistry practiced in the laboratory. In the earlier chapters, the author outlines the principles, techniques and some of the well-known reactions occurring in organic molecules and later illustrates more complex photochemical transformations occuring in organic chemistry. Experimental techniques are included to encourage novices. Topics are emphasized where structural transformations can be formulated chemically. Practical applications are collected together. The book starts at a comfortably simple level with enough examples to provide an introduction to the diversity of photochemical reactions. - Includes experimental techniques to encourage novices - Emphasizes topics where structural transformations can be formulated chemically - Collects and presents practical applications - Written in a simple style including enough examples to serve as an introduction to the diversity of photochemical reactions

Robert Oppenheimer was among the most brilliant and divisive of men. As head of the Los Alamos Laboratory, he oversaw the successful effort to beat the Nazis in the race to develop the first atomic bomb--a breakthrough that was to have eternal ramifications for mankind and that made Oppenheimer the "Father of the Atomic Bomb." But with his actions leading up to that great achievement, he also set himself on a dangerous collision course with Senator Joseph McCarthy and his witch-hunters. In "Robert Oppenheimer: A Life Inside the Center," Ray Monk, author of peerless biographies of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Bertrand Russell, goes deeper than any previous biographer in the quest to solve the enigma of Oppenheimers motivations and his complex personality. The son of German-Jewish immigrants, Oppenheimer was a man of phenomenal intellectual attributes, driven by an ambition to overcome his status as an outsider and penetrate the heart of political and social life. As a young scientist, his talent and drive allowed him to enter a community peopled by the great names of twentieth-century physics--men such as Niels Bohr, Max Born, Paul Dirac, and Albert Einstein--and to play a role in the laboratories and classrooms where the world was being changed forever, where the secrets of the universe, whether within atomic nuclei or collapsing stars, revealed themselves. But Oppenheimers path went beyond one of assimilation, scientific success, and world fame. The implications of the discoveries at Los Alamos weighed heavily upon this fragile and complicated man. In the 1930s, in a climate already thick with paranoia and espionage, he made suspicious connections, and in the wake of the Allied victory, his attempts to resist the escalation of the Cold War arms race led many to question his loyalties. Through compassionate investigation and with towering scholarship, Ray Monks "Robert Oppenheimer" tells an unforgettable story of discovery, secrecy, impossible choices, and unimaginable destruction.