Organic Synthesis (Oxford Chemistry Primers);

This practical book uses a wide range of examples in a versatile approach to the design of effective syntheses. Retrosynthetic analysis--a method of identifying simple starting materials for a synthesis--is introduced with emphasis on the importance of bond polarity and functional group interconversions. The next section discusses how an effective route to a target molecule containing more than one functional group can be followed, while later chapters review methods for the control of chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity, and include a discussion of protecting groups. Finally, four syntheses of pyrrolidine alkaloids are compared using previously described principles.