What is a good organic reaction mechanism reference book?
Mike M asked:
What’s a book that you would recommend that would serve as a good reference for a lot of the organic reaction mechanisms that you would see in undergraduate level organic chemistry classes (Organic I and II)? Thanks very much for your time!
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What’s a book that you would recommend that would serve as a good reference for a lot of the organic reaction mechanisms that you would see in undergraduate level organic chemistry classes (Organic I and II)? Thanks very much for your time!
January 18th, 2010 at 8:54 am
I would recommend As a Second Language Organic Chemistry I : Translating the Basic Concepts 2nd Edition by David R. Klein. An organic II book is also available from the same author. Trisha
January 18th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
I have written such a book (in several versions). The book is very avant-garde. The “A Guide to Organic Chemistry Mechanisms” has mechanisms presented at four levels, three for completing and one a completed answer. The problems in written in a manner that you can do. The knowledge you use to answer one level is used or repeated at the next level. The third level are written in the same manner as textbook problems. The best way to learn about the problems is to go to the minisampler page, download, print, and do the problems. Click on the following link:
That version of the book uses pre-bonds which make the use of curved arrows unambiguous. You can understand what bonds are being formed and broken from the curved arrows themselves. There is another version in which conventional curved arrows are used. I do not have any practical experience with the use of this book in a classroom except to say that I was motivated by students inability to understand reactions mechanisms in writing the version with pre-bonds. It retains the four level format however and has that utility.
The fourth version of the book, “A Handbook of Organic Chemistry Mechanisms”, is simply Part D of the first book. Because the format of the book made it necessary to write some additional comments in an appendix, this book allowed me to incorporate the comments into the text. This book shows the completed mechanisms as examples for solving problems. It does not provide the learning experience of the other books. It is also more readable with any explanations incorporated with each reaction. The book is a supplement to an organic chemistry text and not a replacement for one. For reactions in which no new insight is given, no additional commentary is provided.
Disclaimer, I am the author of “A Guide to Organic Chemistry Mechanisms” and “A Handbook of Organic Chemistry Mechanisms” (Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble or ). Dr OChem