Topics in Organic Chemistry: Methods for Complex Organic Synthesis

This course provides an overview of contemporary methods in synthetic organic chemistry for first year graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Special emphasis is placed on understanding the mechanisms, scope, limitations, and selectivities of some of the most important synthetic methodologies developed in the 21st century. Selected topics include advances in cross coupling, olefin metathesis, pi acid catalysis, organocatalysis, photocatalysis, pi allyl chemistry, hydrogenation, C-H activation and hydrogen-bonding catalysis.