Debora Hammond's The Science of Synthesis explores the development of general systems theory and the individuals who gathered together around that idea to form the Society for General Systems Research. In examining the life and work of the SGSR's five founding members-Ludwig von Bertalanffy, Kenneth Boulding, Ralph Gerard, James Grier Miller, and Anatol Rapoport-Hammond traces the emergence of systems ideas across a broad range of disciplines in the mid-twentieth century. Both metaphor and framework, the systems concept as articulated by its earliest proponents highlights relationship and interconnectedness among the biological, ecological, social, psychological, and technological dimensions of our increasingly complex lives. Seeking to transcend the reductionism and mechanism of classical science-which they saw as limited by its focus on the discrete, component parts of reality-the general systems community hoped to complement this analytic approach with a more holistic orientation. As one of many systems traditions, the general systems group was specifically interested in fostering collaboration and integration among different disciplinary perspectives, with an emphasis on nurturing more participatory and truly democratic forms of social organization. The Science of Synthesis documents a unique episode in the history of modern thought, one that remains relevant today. This book will be of interest to historians of science, system thinkers, scholars and practitioners in the social sciences, management, organization development and related fields, as well as the general reader interested in the history of ideas that have shaped critical developments in the second half of the twentieth century.

The widespread use of organoboron compounds justifies the efforts devoted to their synthesis, as well as toward developing an understanding of their reactivity. The nature of the mono- or diboron species is of paramount importance in determining the reversible covalent binding properties of the boron atom with both nucleophiles and electrophiles. By wedding the rich chemical potential of organoboron compounds to the ubiquity of organic scaffolds, advanced borylation reactions have the potential to open unprecedented synthetic alternatives, and new knowledge in the field should encourage chemists to use organoboron compounds. In this volume, the main objective is to provide a collection of the most useful, practical, and reliable methods, reported mainly within the last decade, for boron activation and boron reactivity. The volume covers the main concepts of organoboron compounds and includes experimental procedures, enabling newcomers to the field the instant and reliable application of the new tools in synthesis. Rather than aiming for a comprehensive coverage, the most advanced solutions for challenging transformations are introduced. To this end, a team of pioneers and leaders in the field have been assembled who discuss both the practical and conceptual aspects of this rapidly growing field.

This reference work presents the state-of-the-art in the field of click chemistry, collecting the most useful, practical, and reliable methods. Click chemistry is a discipline that has grown rapidly since the introduction of this term by Barry Sharpless and Huisgen approximately two decades ago. Initially, click reactions mostly involved copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloadditions and their applications to connect molecules, but gradually new types of click reactions were developed which also allowed a much wider range of applications throughout the chemical, biological, and materials sciences. This volume provides an overview of the most widely used click reactions and their scope and limitations. Written by pioneers and leaders in the field and including representative applications and experimental procedures. Newcomers to the field are enabled to instantly apply these reactions in synthesis.

The view of organic synthesis as "a concentrated expression of predictive ability and creative capacity" was advocated in the early 1950s. A concise and readable account of the role of synthesis in modern science, Organic Synthesis: The Science Behind the Art presents the general ideology of pursuits in the area of organic synthesis, and examines the methodologies that have evolved in the search for solutions to synthetic problems. This unique book details outstanding achievements of modern organic synthesis, not only for their scientific merits, but also for the aesthetic appeal of the target molecules chosen and the intrinsic beauty of the solutions to the problems posed. By judicious selection of data covering the main areas of synthetic explorations, this book serves to illustrate both the evolution of well-known approaches as well as recently emerged trends most likely to determine the future development of organic synthesis. Special attention is given to the consideration of principles of molecular design in promising and challenging areas of current research. Primarily aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate students, Organic Synthesis: The Science Behind the Art will also be of interest to teachers, researchers and anyone requiring an introduction to the problems of organic synthesis.

The field of photocatalysis has developed rapidly over the last decade and it is time to clarify its impact on organic synthesis. This volume is an opportunity to provide the defining and current reference work for this field. A primary objective is to collect together the most useful, practical, and reliable methods for photocatalysis and to introduce them to a larger audience. The fundamental concepts of photophysics are introduduced and laboratory set-ups are described, enabling newcomers to the field to instantly apply these new tools in synthesis. Rather than aiming for comprehensive coverage, solutions for challenging transformations in synthesis applying visible light and suitable dyes are presented. A team of pioneers and leaders in the field has been assembled, who discuss both the practical and conceptual aspects of this rapidly growing field. Scope, limitations, and mechanism of the reactions are covered and key experimental procedures are included.

The stepping-stone text for students with a preliminary knowledge of organic chemistry looking to move into organic synthesis research and graduate-level coursework Organic synthesis is an advanced but important field of organic chemistry, however resources for advanced undergraduates and graduate students moving from introductory organic chemistry courses to organic synthesis research are scarce. Introduction to Strategies for Organic Synthesis is designed to fill this void, teaching practical skills for making logical retrosynthetic disconnections, while reviewing basic organic transformations, reactions, and reactivities. Divided into seven parts that include sections on Retrosynthesis and Protective Groups; Overview of Organic Transformations; Synthesis of Monofunctional Target Molecules; Synthesis of Target Molecules with Two Functional Groups; Synthesis of Aromatic Target Molecules; Synthesis of Compounds Containing Rings; and Predicting and Controlling Stereochemistry, the book covers everything students need to successfully perform retrosynthetic analyses of target molecule synthesis. Starting with a review of functional group transformations, reagents, and reaction mechanisms, the book demonstrates how to plan a synthesis, explaining functional group analysis and strategic disconnections. Incorporating a review of the organic reactions covered, it also demonstrates each reaction from a synthetic chemist's point of view, to provide students with a clearer understanding of how retrosynthetic disconnections are made. Including detailed solutions to over 300 problems, worked-through examples and end-of-chapter comprehension problems, Introduction to Strategies for Organic Synthesis serves as a stepping stone for students with an introductory knowledge of organic chemistry looking to progress to more advanced synthetic concepts and methodologies.

Synthesis is at the core of organic chemistry. In order for compounds to be studied—be it as drugs, materials, or because of their physical properties— they have to be prepared, often in multistep synthetic sequences. Thus, the target compound is at the outset of synthesis planning. Synthesis involves creating the target compound from smaller, readily available building blocks. Immediately, questions arise: From which bui- ing blocks? In which sequence? By which reactions? Nature creates many highly complex “natural products” via reaction cascades, in which an asso- ment of starting compounds present within the cell is transformed by speci c (for each target structure) combinations of modular enzymes in speci c - quences into the target compounds [1, 2]. To mimic this ef ciency is the dream of an ideal synthesis [2]. However, we are at present so far from - alising such a “one-pot” operation that actual synthesis has to be achieved via a sequence of individual discrete steps. Thus, we are left with the task of planning each synthesis individually in an optimal fashion. Synthesis planning must be conducted with regard for certain speci - tions, some of which are due to the structure of the target molecule, and some of which relate to external parameters such as costs, environmental compatibility, or novelty. We will not consider these external aspects in this context. Planning of a synthesis is based on a pool of information regarding chemical reactions that can be executed reliably and in high chemical yield.