Organic chemistry : a mechanistic approach / Tadashi Okuyama and Howard Maskill.

Includes index.

1. Chemical bonding and molecules -- 2. Molecular structure and shapes of organic molecules -- 3. Organic compounds: their functional groups, intermolecular interactions and physical properties -- 4. Conformation and strain in molecules -- 5. Conjugation, pi-electrion delocalization, and aromaticity -- 6. Acids and bases -- 7. Organic reactions and concept of mechanism -- 8. Nucleophilic addition to the carbonyl group in aldehydes and ketones -- 9. Nucleophilic substitution of carboxylic acid derivatives -- 10. Reactions of carbonyl compounds with hydride donors and organometallic reagents -- 11. Stereochemistry and molecular chirality -- 12. Nucleophilic substitution reactions of haloalkanes and related compounds -- 13. Elimination reactions of haloalkanes and related compounds -- 14. Reactions of alcohols, ethers, thiols, sulfides, and amines -- 15. Addition reactions of alkenes and alkynes -- 16. Enolate anions and their reactions -- 17. Enolate ions, their equivalents and reactions -- 18. Reactions of nucleophiles with alkenes and aromatic compounds -- 19. Polycyclic and heterocyclic aromatic compounds -- 20. Rearrangement reactions -- 21. Pericyclic reactions : cycloadditions, electrocyclic reactions, and sigmatropic rearrangements -- 22. Rearrangement reactions involving polar molecules and ions -- 23. Biomolecules -- 24. Chemistry of biomolecules -- 25. Structural determination of organic compounds.

Organic Chemistry: A Mechanistic Approach provides students with a concise review of the essential concepts underpinning the subject. It combines a focus on core topics and themes with a mechanistic approach to the explanation of the reactions it describes, making it ideal for those looking for a solid understanding of the central themes of organic chemistry. Opening with a review of chemical bonding and molecular shape and structure, the book then introduces the principal groups of organic compound before exploring the range of reactions they undergo. It retains an emphasis throughout on how and why organic compounds behave in the way they do, with the closing chapter on characterization methods describing how the structure and composition of organic compounds can be studied in practice. A range of learning features--including full-color art, sidebars, in-text questions, and end-of-chapter problems--helps students to digest and fully understand the concepts being presented. With an understanding of organic chemistry being central to the study and practice of a range of disciplines, Organic Chemistry is the ideal resource for those studying a one- or two-semester organic chemistry course as part of a broader program of study in the physical and life sciences.