Art in Organic Synthesis

There is excitement, adventure, and challenge, and there can be great art in organic synthesis. R. B. Woodward3... 

N. Anand, J. S. Bindra, and S. Ranganathan, Art in Organic Synthesis, 2nd Edition, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1988. 

In view of this background, it is the aim of this chapter to organize the fundamentals of radical additions to 1,2-dienes and to present its state of the art in organic synthesis. All aspects of enyne allene cyclizations [19, 20] have been omitted since this topic is addressed in Chapter 20. In order to simplify the mechanistic discussion, the positions and Jt-bonds of allenes have been consistently numbered using the nomenclature outlined in Figure 11.1. 

Anand, N., Bindra, J. S., Ranganathan, S. Art in organic synthesis, Holden-Day (1970) the title of this book is indicative of the present state of systematics in synthesis design. 

Abstract Selective functionalization of one specific C(sp )-H bond in a complex molecule without the assistance of a directing group represents the state of the art in organic synthesis and will be a dynamic topic in future. In the past decade, many excellent methods have been developed to accomplish this goal with transition-metal catalysts and even under metal-free conditions. In this chapter, we summarize the recent achievements in this realm during the past 5 years, including oxidative functionalization of a-C(sp )-H bonds adjacent to heteroatoms, allylic, benzylic, and unactivated aliphatic C(sp )-H bonds. The total redox-neutral C(sp )-H bond functionalization is also briefly introduced. 

I for one will not conceal my hope, contrary though it may be to the often too narrowly utilitarian spirit of the day, that synthesis for its own sake will continue. There is excitement, adventure, and challenge, and there can be great art, in organic synthesis. These alone should be enough, and organic chemistry will be sadder when none of its practitioners are responsive to these stimuli." (Woodward, 1956) [7] m... 

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