Product Description

Since its original appearance in 1977, Advanced Organic Chemistry has maintained its place as the premier textbook in the field, offering broad coverage of the structure, reactivity and synthesis of organic compounds. As in the earlier editions, the text contains extensive references to both the primary and review literature and provides examples of data and reactions that illustrate and document the generalizations. While the text assumes completion of an introductory course in organic chemistry, it reviews the fundamental concepts for each topic that is discussed.

The two-part fifth edition has been substantially revised and reorganized for greater clarity. Among the changes: Updated material reflecting advances in the field since 2001’s Fourth Edition, especially in computational chemistry; A companion Web site provides digital models for study of structure, reaction and selectivity; Solutions to the exercises provided to instructors online.

The material in Part A is organized on the basis of fundamental structural topics such as structure, stereochemistry, conformation and aromaticity and basic mechanistic types, including nucleophilic substitution, addition reactions, carbonyl chemistry, aromatic substitution and free radical reactions. Together with Part B: Reaction and Synthesis, the two volumes are intended to provide the advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate student in chemistry with a sufficient foundation to comprehend and use the research literature in organic chemistry.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61299 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 1199 pages

Review

From the reviews of the fifth edition:

"Advanced Organic Chemistry … the well-known textbook for graduate students – has now appeared in a 5th edition. … Carey & Sundberg will be interesting to all students who seek a detailed understanding of organic chemistry, and who wish to refresh and embellish their existing knowledge. On the strength of the scope and quality of the explanations, this … is recommended for use as the resource of first resort for specific research questions in one’s later career." (www.organische-chemie.ch, January, 2008)

Customer Reviews

Course on Physical Organic Chemistry
Carey and Sundberg had written the most detailed and briliant account in the subject of organic chemistry. This volume along with Part B (Reactions and Synthesis) contribute to the most updated account in advanced organic chemistry. Part A deals with chemical bonding + structure, basic stereochemical principles, conformational analysis, stereoelectronic effects, and organic reaction mechanisms.

For many organic students, a basic picture of chemical bonding and structure is more than adequate. The mathematical complications in physical chemistry have haunted many organic students including myself. Carey and Sundberg discuss concepts in chemical bonding and structure most relevant to organic chemistry and organic compounds in very plain language. This volume covers valence bond, molecular orbital theory (MO), Huckel molecular orbital theory, interaction between sigma and pi systems, hyperconjugation. The book also frontier orbital theory (HOMO, LUMO, PMO) in the context of perturbation theory.

The coverage on stereochemistry is succinct but detailed. It introduces ideas of enantiomeric and diastereomeric relationships. It also emphasizes on the significance and consequence of prochiral relationships and stereochemistry of dynamic processes. Conformational analysis is discussed mostly in the context of 3-membered to 7-membered ring systems. The book also provides thorough discussion on kinetic vs. thermodynamic control in mechanisms. Some of the less-easy-to-grasp concepts are discussed in details such as the Hammond's Postulate, Curtin-Hammett Principles and isotope effects. The book also contains a section on inorganic catalysis, Lewis acid catalysis and solvent effects. It further reinforces the theory and concept studied in introductory courses.

The rest of the book focuses on some of the most significant organic reactions: their substrates, reaction mechanism, choice of solvents, intermediates, and possible stereochemical outcomes. Part A mostly deal with all the above except for stereochemical outcomes. This book covers nucleophilic substitution (Sn1, Sn2, Sn1b), polar addition and elimination reaction, carbocation and cabanion chemistry, and finally an introduction of reactions of carbonyl compounds without emphasizing on the stereochemical outcomes. The book provides an abundance of reaction examples organized in schemes. It makes studying very effective and helpful. The coverage on factors affecting nucleophilic reactions (leaving group ability, steric strain, substitutent effect, solvent, neighboring group participation) is excellent, so much better than most titles currently available.

The book concludes with sections on aromaticity, aromatic substitution, concerted reactions, and free-radical reaction. The section on aromatic substitution covers structure-reactivity relationships and specific reactions such as nitration, halogenation, Friedel-Crafts, diazonium coupling and addition-elimination. The section on cncerted reactions are basic meant to give a taste of these reactions. A more detailed account of these reactions will be found in Part B. Overall Carey and Sundberg is not an easy book to read. It assumes a basic knowledge of an introductory organic chemistry course. Advanced undergraduates and graduate students will welcome this new edition and the depth of materials covered.

should be in every chemistry grad students private library
An extremely useful text for courses involving organic chemistry at graduate level and an excellent reference text, it is much better than many other similar texts on the market. Probably most useful for the study of physical organic chemistry and studying for cumulative exams in the graduate chemistry program. This is probably the only such text you would need for mechanism determination problems. This text also has many example problems to work through which chemistry students would find the most useful.

Great book, a must have
This book is outstanding in explaining the kinetic/mechanistic aspect of reactions and the study of mechanisms in organic as well as in inorganic chemistry (catalysis). It starts out with a nice introduction of the relevant concepts (i.e. MO theory, PMO theory and Quantum Mechanics-not rigourously) specially designed for organic chemists and students who do not have/need a very intricate mathematical background, with the overall achievement of making it a really easy book to read and understand. Definitely, this book and Part B of it are a must have for any chemist!!