The Organic Chemistry Cookbook: An Original Organic Chemistry Study Aid

The Organic Chemistry Cookbook contains reactions commonly encountered in an introductory organic chemistry course. It is best used as an accompaniment to an organic chemistry text, for a working knowledge of nomenclature and fundamental reaction mechanics is assumed. Unique in design, The Organic Chemistry Cookbook presents core concepts within the framework of lab synthesis of organic compounds. Each reaction presented in The Organic Chemistry Cookbook gives an example of how to produce a specific organic compound, or dish. In typical cookbook format, each dish is presented with a list of ingredients (reactants) and method of preparation. The Ingredients and Synthesis Synopsis sections represent a general summary for making the desired product whether it be an alkane, alcohol, or B-ketoester, etc. The sections Reaction Mechanism and Explanation of Steps explore the results which follow Ingredients and Synthesis Synopsis. Unlike the typical illustration of a reaction mechanism presented in a textbook, double-sided arrows indicating a reversible step are not used; yet, reversible steps that merit examination may be addressed. Moreover, illustrations of a mechanism are hand drawn for a more organic appeal. All dishes close with a question and answer section entitled Ask the Chef. Ask the Chef provides further analysis of the reaction mechanism, addressing questions typically concerned with key steps of the mechanism as well as the consequences of variations to the list of ingredients.