CHEM 764/7640 - Organic Spectroscopy

Semester: Fall 2023

Professor: J.M. Chong | Discipline: Organic | Campus: Waterloo

Description

Course objectives:
1. To gain an understanding of the general principles underlying various aspects of selectivity in organic synthesis
2. To learn specific synthetic methods and strategies used in modern organic synthesis
3. To gain a working (theoretical) knowledge of how to plan and execute synthetic routes to target organic molecules

Week Topic Chapter

1 Selectivity in synthesis: regioselectivity, stereoselectivity and chemoselectivity 33, 34
2 Protecting groups 24
3 Retrosynthetic analysis, synthons and disconnections Functional group interconversions 30
4,5 Reductions and oxidations 24
6,7 Carbon-carbon bond formation using organometallics 9
8 Cross-coupling reactions 48
9 Enolate alkylations 26
10,11 Stereoselective formation of C-C double bonds 31
12 Asymmetric synthesis 45

Details of synthetic organic methods will be presented along with applications in the synthesis of natural products and other organic molecules from the primary literature.

Materials

There will be no official textbook but content will be loosely based on Organic Chemistry, Clayden, Greeves, Warren and Wothers, Oxford University Press, 2001.

Evaluation

Grading Scheme (CHEM 400):

Assignments1 20%
Midterm Exam2 25%
Final Exam3 55%

1 Assignments (4) will be due on Fridays September 22, October 20, November 10, and December 1.
2 Midterm will be held during the lecture period on Friday, November 3.
3 Final examination will be scheduled by the Registrar’s office during the final examination period (December 8 – 21, 2023).

For students in CHEM 764, there will be a modified grading scheme and additional requirements. Exams will have additional questions.

Assignments1 20%
Midterm Exam2 20%
Research paper and presentation 10%
Final Exam3 50%

Lab/Project

TBA

Schedule

  • Mon: 11:30 am - 12:20 pm in E2 1732
  • Wed: 11:30 am - 12:20 pm in E2 1732
  • Fri: 11:30 am - 12:20 pm in E2 1732

Office Hours

Office: C2-364; Lab: C2-363 e-mail: [email protected]