Dryden's Outlines of Chemical Technology

Editors: Tobin, Emma, Ambrosio, Chiara (Eds.)
Outlines key theoretical developments in chemistry, examined in the context of their historical background
Highlights competing theories from medieval alchemy to the era of computer modelled chemistry
Reveals the strong relationship between scientific practice and theory choice

The Logic of Chemical Synthesis The title of this three-part volume derives from a key theme of the book—the logic underlying the rational analysis of complex synthetic problems. Although the book deals almost exclusively with molecules of biological origin, which are ideal for developing the fundamental ideas of multistep synthetic design because of their architectural complexity and variety, the approach taken is fully applicable to other types of carbon-based structures. Part One outlines the basic concepts of retrosynthetic analysis and the general strategies for generating possible synthetic pathways by logical reduction of molecular complexity. Systematic retrosynthetic analysis and the concurrent use of multiple independent strategies to guide problem solving greatly simplify the task of devising a new synthesis.

The fifth volume of Dr Needham's immense undertaking, like the fourth, is subdivided into parts for ease of presentation and assimilation, each part bound and published separately.