Organic Chemistry

By James Ashenhurst
308
2026

Description

Class-tested and thoughtfully designed for student engagement Organic Chemistry provides the tools and foundations needed by students in a short course or one-semester class on the subject. This book does not dilute the material or rely on rote memorization. Rather, it focuses on the underlying principles in order to make accessible the science that underpins so much of our dayto-day lives, as well as present further study and practice in medical and scientific fields. This book provides context and structure for learning the fundamental principles of organic chemistry, enabling the reader to proceed from simple to complex examples in a systematic and logical way. Utilizing clear and consistently colored figures, Principles of Organic Chemistry begins by exploring the step-by-step processes (or mechanisms) by which reactions occur to create molecular structures. It then describes some of the many ways these reactions make new compounds, examined by functional groups and corresponding common reaction mechanisms. Throughout, this book includes biochemical and pharmaceutical examples with varying degrees of difficulty, with worked answers and without, as well as advanced topics in later chapters for optional coverage. This book is written for a one-semester course in organic chemistry, where content must be comprehensive but to the point. Only those topics needed for a brief course are covered, yet the important pedagogical tools commonly found in larger books are also maintained. The text gives students a solid understanding of organic chemistry by stressing how fundamental reaction mechanisms function and reactions occur. Organic Chemistry is written with clear explanations, thought-provoking examples and problems, and the trademark vertical format for explaining reaction mechanisms. Organic Chemistry discusses the basic concept e.g., includes detailed description of organic molecules, functional groups and the nomenclature of the organic molecules. This book also discusses the notion of acids and bases and stereochemistry of the organic molecules along with the description of amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, alcohol and ethers. It provides the reader with the insights of basic organic chemistry so as to understand the basic organic reactions and the application of spectroscopy to study organic molecules. Organic Chemistry is meant for students who learn organic chemistry at the undergraduate level and who have already had exposure to the basics of chemistry, including an introduction to organic chemistry.

About Author

James Ashenhurst an organic chemist originally comes from Glen Williams, Ontario, Canada. After undergraduate studies at Queen's University, he obtained Ph.D. in organic chemistry from McGill University (2006) and then did a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at MIT (2006-2008). Following a Fellowship at Toronto and Brussels, he returned to Harvard, where he has served as Chairman of the Department of Chemistry and is the Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Chemistry.

Table of Content

Preface
1. Foundational Concepts Of Organic Chemistry

1.1 History Of Organic Chemistry 
1.2 Bonding 
1.3 Electron Dot Structures 
1.4 Visualization
1.5 Resonance 
1.6 Acids And Bases 

2. Concept Of Acids And Bases 
2.1 Acids 
2.2 Base 
2.3 Acid–Base Reaction

3. Alkanes 
3.1 Introduction 
3.2 Drawing Alkanes

4. Cycloalkanes 
4.1 Drawing Cycloalkanes 
4.2 Naming Of Cycloalkanes 
4.3 Introduction To Heterocyclic Compounds 

5. Haloalkanes 
5.1 Reaction Mechanisms 
6. Alkenes 
6.1 Naming Alkenes 
6.2 Halogenation 
6.3 Polymerization 
6.4 Summary 

7. Alkynes 
7.1 Multiple Bonds Between Carbon Atoms 
7.2 Cycloalkynes 
7.3 Halogenation Of Alkynes 

8. Alcohols 
8.1 Alkoxides 
9. Ethers 
9.1 Preparation Of Ethers  

10. Amines 
10.1 Nucleophilic Substitution Of Haloalkanes 
10.2 Physical Properties
10.3 Dienes 
11. Aromatics
11.1 Benzene Structure
11.2 Aromatic Reactions 

12. Ketones And Aldehydes 
12.1 Boiling Points And Bond Angles 
12.2 Hydration Of Alkynes 

13. Carboxylic Acids
13.1 Carboxylic Acid Derivatives 
14. Analytical Techniques 
14.1 Elemental Analysis 
14.2 Chromatography 
14.3 Spectroscopy 
14.4 Mass Spectroscopy

15. Introduction To Reactions 
15.1 Polar And Radical Reactions 
15.2 Redox Reactions 
15.3 Carbocations 
15.4 Hydroboration/Oxidation 
15.5 Radicals 
15.6 Pericyclic Reactions 
15.7 Diels-Alder Reaction 

16. Chemical Bonding 
16.1 Introduction 
16.2 Main Types Of Chemical Bonds 
16.3 Valence Bond Theory 
16.4 Modern Valence Bond Theory 
16.5 Ionic Bond 

17. Stereochemistry 
17.1 Introduction 
17.2 Isomerism 

18. Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution 
18.1 Introduction 
18.2 Substitution Reactions Of Benzene And Other Aromatic Compounds 

19. Buckminsterfullerene 
19.1 Introduction
19.2 Buckyball 
19.3 A New Chemistry For Carbon 
19.4 Boron Buckyball 

20. Pericyclic Reactions 
20.1 Introduction 
20.2 Cycloaddition 
20.3 Cheletropic Reaction 
20.4 Electrocyclic Reactions 

Bibliography
Index