Organic Chemistry at Arizona State University

May 18, 2009
To see your final grade for the course, click HERE. A full breakdown of your points is given in the CURRENT POINTS PAGE. Please note that there is no way for you to change your final grade now that it has been posted, please don't ask! I thank you for all of the hard work you put into this class, I was very pleased with the final exam, a lot of you have learned a lot of organic chemistry! I hope that you can now enjoy your summer. You may pick up your final exam from my office at any time, however, I will be there only erratically, I suggest that you call ahead to see if I am there before coming over. There will be no more office hours for the rest of the summer, I have too much other work to do!

May 12, 2009
Regrading is taking a lot longer than expected, the grades will probably not be posted until tomorrow AM, Monday May 18th.

May 12, 2009
The Current Points page has been updated again, to include all points for all 14 quizzes, all midterms after all regrades and your points for using the Retrosynthesis Web Site this semester. Unfortunately I was unable to write a good script that properly accounted for all of your visits to this web site with accurate date encoding, and so, I have decided that the entire class will receive 40 points for this. Your final grade will be determined as the total points from the quizzes (after dropping the lowest 4) + the 40 points for using the retrosynthesis web site, plus your points for all 4 tests. Remember, there will also be NO REGRADES for the final since I will personally regrade the entire test for all students who are within 20 points of any grade cutoff. The final will hopefully be graded by the weekend, I expect to post the final grades on Sunday, although as usual, it may be around midnight! More...

May 8, 2009
An updated list of errors in Problem Set #4 has been posted, click HERE.

May 8, 2009
The Current Points page has been updated to include all points for quizzes 1 - 13 and all midterms after all regrades. PLEASE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO ERRORS. All errors must be brought to my attention by the end of the day, Monday May 11th. There will be NO CHANGES to these points after next Monday. There will also be NO REGRADES for the final. I will personally regrade the entire test for all students who are within 20 points of any grade cutoff. More...

May 7, 2009
Quiz 14 has been posted. It is a "survey" quiz, there are no right/wrong answers, I'd like your opinions on some things. Please answer these questions as honestly as you can, your answers will have NO EFFECT on your grade, expect that EVERYBODY who submits this quiz will get an automatic 6 points! Please submit a quiz even if you don't think that you need the 6 points, I'd like to collect as many opinions as possible. Note that I won't be looking at individual answers, I will just be looking at the percentages for the class as a whole, so again, please answer as honestly as you can. Some of the questions may not have your exact response, so please choose the CLOSEST response, thanks. The quiz is due by 11:59PM on Monday May 11th, which is the end of the day of our final exam. More...

May 6, 2009
Jurgen will hold extra office hours for the final today, Wednesday, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. in Murdock 201, and 1:00 - 2:15 p.m. on Saturday in PSH-137 (the CHM LRC). Apologies for the late notice for today but I was off campus all day and wasn't able to post on the website.

May 6, 2009
For a list of known errors in Problem Set #4, click HERE.

May 5, 2009
Reminder. I will have my first review tomorrow, Wed. May 6th in Murdock 201 (hope the projector works!). The originally posted time was 7 - 9PM, bit I won't be able to make it by 7PM, so the new time is 8PM - 10PM. APologies for the late end, but my schedule tomorrow is very busy! I will hold a second review on Saturday May 9th, 2:30 - 4:30 PM, hopefully in LS A-191. After Wednesday I am not able to reserve any rooms, including Saturdays. So, on Saturday, assemble outside LS A-191 and if it is in use we will all go and find another room. Because I am off campus, there will be no office hours tomorrow, Wed. There will be office hours as usual on Friday, 9 - 10AM. On Sunday I will hold "online office hours" in the afternoon, time to be announced.

May 3, 2009
The completed version of the Amines notes has been posted. More...

May 3, 2009
As promised last week, I have written a few more problems related to the synthesis of acid derivatives and amines. To see the problems, click HERE, and to see the answers, click HERE. Also, make sure that you check the weekly work page this week, which contains links to more derivative/amine synthesis problems, and also to problems that use only the "simple set" of reactions that is mentioned below. More...

May 3, 2009
The Weekly Work page has been updated for the last time. More...

May 3, 2009
The answer key for Quiz #13 has been posted. A "survey" Quiz #14 will be posted sometime this week. More...

May 2, 2009
The completed version of the Carboxylic Acid Derivatives notes has been posted. As usual, please check your notes against mine. More...

May 1, 2009
There was an error in question #3 on the quiz, none of the provided answers were correct! This is now fixed in the version now posted. Remember to hit "Refresh" on your browser to make sure that you get the latest version of the quiz. More...

Apr 30, 2009
Jurgen will hold a quiz review at 12:30 on Saturday in H-150. I will hold a review session at 2:30 on syntheses of carboxylic acids, acid derivatives and perhaps amines, depending upon how far we get in Friday, in LS A-191.

Apr 30, 2009
Clarification: There will be TWO kinds of retrosynthesis problems on the final. The first kind of problems will include reactions ONLY from the lists posted below (click HERE, and HERE). The second kind of second of problems will include ADDITIONAL reactions not on these lists, for example, reactions involved in the syntheses of carboxylic acids/derivatives/amines etc.

Apr 29, 2009
Problem Set #4 has been posted. Please use it as a guide to the material that will be covered on the final exam. On page 28 of Problem Set #4 are some retrosynthesis problems that use only a set of "standard simple" reactions that everybody should know. The idea is that these problems should test your understand of how to do retrosynthesis rather than your knowledge of exotic reactions. To see this list of standard reactions click HERE, and HERE. There will be at least 2 retrosynthesis problems that use only this "standard simple" set of reactions on the final. More...

Apr 27, 2009
As announced in class today, the nomenclature question was graded incorrectly. The stereochemistry of the -OH group was R, not S. if you lost 2 points because you put "R", then send me an email. All such requests must be made by 11:59PM, Monday May 4th, which is the same deadline for regrade requests. More...

Apr 26, 2009
The completed version of the carboxylic acid notes has been posted, as usual, please check your notes against mine. More...

Apr 26, 2009
The answer key for Quiz #12 has been posted, and the final chemistry quiz of the semester, Quiz #13 has also been posted. More...

Apr 22, 2009
Some more advance warning, Chad's review for the final will be Sunday, May 3rd at 1:00pm in LSA-191. I will have my first review 7PM - 9PM on Wed. May 6th in Murdock 201 (hope the projector works!). I will hold a second review on Saturday May 9th, 2:30 - 4:30 PM, hopefully in LS A-191.

Apr 23, 2009
There will be no review session/office hours this Saturday, since I will be grading all day. However, Jurgen will hold a quiz review at 2:30PM in PSH-150. Don't forget that Quiz #12 has been posted. More...

Apr 22, 2009
Some advance warning, Chad's review for the final will be Sunday, May 3rd at 1:00pm in LSA-191.

Apr 22, 2009
Quiz #12 has been posted, the deadline for submission is 11:59PM, this Saturday, April 25th. More...

Apr 20, 2009
The Weekly Work page has been updated for Week 13. More...

Apr 19, 2009
The answer key for Quiz #11 has been posted. More...

Apr 19, 2009
Apologies for the very short notice, but I will be in my office this afternoon, so I will try the Online Office Hours "click above" between 2:30 and 3:30PM, to answer any last minute questions.

Apr 18, 2009
The complete version of the enols/enolats notes has been posted. More...

Apr 15, 2009
Apologies, I have not yet reset the Quiz submit page for Quiz #11. For some reason lots of people want to submit their quiz on Wednesday instead of Saturday this week, wonder why? I can't reset the quiz page from home, I will do it first thing tomorrow morning (Thursday).

Apr 13, 2009
Review Session Update! Jurgen will hold his quiz review this week on WEDNESDAY at 7PM in PS H-150 (Jurgen has something important to do on Saturday). Chad will hold his concepts review session Friday, April 17 at 6:00PM in LSA-191. My first problem-based review will be Thursday April 16th, 6 - 8PM, IN PS F-166. My second will be on Saturday April 18th, 2:30 - 4:30PM, IN LS A-191.

Apr 13, 2009
There will be three pre-midterm review sessions. Chad will hold a concepts review on Friday, April 17 at 5:30PM, room to be determined. I will hold two problem-based reviews. The first will be Thursday April 16th, 6 - 8PM, room to be determined. The second will be on Saturday April 18th, 2 - 4PM, room to be determined. Jurgen will also hold a quiz review on Saturday, time to be determined. Check back for more details later in the week.

Apr 12, 2009
The Weekly Work page has been updated for Week 12. More...

Apr 12, 2009
The answer key to Quiz #10 has been posted, and a new Quiz #11 has been posted. More...

Apr 9, 2009
A very slightly modified version of the completed Aldehydes and Ketones notes has been posted. These include a new section 3.3 on hydrolysis reactions. These are also described on page 18 of the problems set. Also included is a slightly different version of the Wittig notes that may be marginally less confusing than the original notes. This slightly modified version is posted as Aldehydes and Ketones 2. if you are comfortable with Wittig reactions and the hydrolysis reaction on page 18 of the problem set, no need to check the modifoed version. More...

Apr 12, 2009
Problem Set #3 has been posted. Ignore the problems that are related to the Claisen reaction, as indicated in the problem set. More...

Apr 11, 2009
In the reviews session today I gave you two mechanism problems to solve, click HERE. For the answer to the first problem, click HERE. To see a hint that may help you solve the second problem, click HERE, and for the answer to the second problem, click HERE.

Apr 10, 2009
Jurgen will hold a quiz review tomorrow, Saturday at 12:30Pm in PS H-150 and I will hold a review session on aldehyde and ketone reactions at 2:30 PM in LS-A191. As usual assemble outside if the room is in use!

Apr 9, 2009
The completed version of the Aldehydes and Ketones notes has been posted. As usual, please check to make sure that you notes are complete! More...

Apr 9, 2009
The current points page has been updated to include all quizzes up to #9 and both midterms after all regrades. Before 9PM the posted grades for midterm #2 were incorrect, they are NOW correct. More...

Apr 5, 2009
The weekly work page has been updated for week #11. More...

Apr 5, 2009
The answer quiz for Quiz #9 has been posted, and new Quiz #10 has also been posted. There will be one more chemistry quiz each week until the end of the semester, which will take us to Quiz #13. I will post Quiz #14 after the end of the semester. It will be a "survey" quiz, basically free points! More...

Apr 4, 2009
Todays review session was short since somebody else had reserved the room and threw us out after ca. 40 minutes! What was covered was recorded, however. More...

Apr 3, 2009
There will be q quiz review tomorrow, Saturday Apr 4th, at 12:30 in OS H-150. I will also hold a review session on benzene synthesis reactions in LS A-191 at 2:30PM (note the slightly later time than usual!). I was unable to reserve LS A-191, so if it is in use, assemble outside and we will go and find another room.

Apr 2, 2009
The Current Points page has been updated to include all quizzes through #8. As usual, please check to make sure that there are no errors. More...

Mar 31, 2009
The completed version of the Benzene Reactions notes has been posted. The posted version is slightly different at the alkylation section, I prefer the new version. As usual, please check to make sure that your notes are up to date etc. More...

Mar 30, 2009
I accidentally posted 2 questions in Quiz #9 that included reactions that we will not cover this semester. Thus, a new question #7 and a new question #8 have just been posted, apologies! More...

Mar 29, 2009
The results of Midterm #2 have been posted. The answer key will be posted Monday afternoon. More...

Mar 29, 2009
The weekly work page has been updated (after missing a week!)! The retrosynthesis site will be updated on Monday afternoon. More...

Mar 29, 2009
Quiz #9 has been posted, it is due 11:59PM, Saturday March 4th. More...

Mar 27, 2009
There is no quiz this week, and so there will be no quiz review tomorrow, Saturday. Also, because I will be grading all day, there will be no Saturday review session/office hours this week.

Mar 22, 2009
The second part of yesterday's review session has been posted, subject - aromaticity! More...

Mar 22, 2009
The answer key for Quiz #8 has been posted More...

Mar 21, 2009
The review session today was delayed because the projector in MUR 201 wasn't working, so we had to use MUR 101. Then we had to leave MUR 101 early because another group had reserved it. Consequently, I was not able to cover all of the material, specifically aromaticity. So there are two recorded files, Part A consists of the major part of the review that was recorded in MUR 101. Part B is a short section on aromaticity that will be recorded in my office and posted either later today or early tomorrow morning! More...

Mar 20, 2009
Jurgen will hold a quiz review at 12:30PM in PS H-150.

Mar 20, 2009
The completed versions of the Conjugated Systems and Aromaticity notes have been posted. As usual, please check to make sure that your notes are complete. More...

Mar 19, 2009
There will be two more exam review sessions. Chad will hold a "concepts" review tomorrow, Friday 2:30pm in MUR 101. I will hold a second problem/based review, covering mainly pericyclic reactions and aromaticity on Saturday, 2 - 4PM, in MURDOCK 201 (NOT LS A-191). The recording of tonight's review will be posted tomorrow morning, Friday March 20th.

Mar 19, 2009
THE REVIEW THIS EVENING WILL BE IN PS F-166, 6:30 - 8:30.

Mar 19, 2009
There will be three exam review sessions. Chad will hold a "concepts" review tomorrow, Friday 2:30pm in MUR 101. I will hold two problem/based reviews. The first will be this evening, Thursday March 19th at 6:30PM. I am trying to reserve LS A-191, but this is not yet confirmed. If the room is is use, assemble outside and we will go and find another room. My second will be this Saturday, 2 - 4PM, in LS A-191.

Mar 16, 2009
Problem Set #2 has been posted. More...

Mar 16, 2009
The answer key for Quiz #7 has been posted, and Quiz #8 has also been posted. Quiz #8 is due 11:59PM, Saturday March 21st. More...

Mar 16, 2009
Today's lecture has been posted. In it I describe a "fingers-and-thumbs" method for doing electrocyclic reactions using aromatic transition state theory, which clearly can't be captured on the Tablet PC for those watching the recording. This method is described HERE. More...

Mar 15, 2009
The weekly work page has been updated for week #8. More...

Mar 15, 2009
The current points page has been updated to include quizzes 1 - 6 and midterm #1 after all regrades and after correcting for the R/S/ grading error. More...

Mar 8, 2009
I will have normal office hours during Spring Break (Mon, Wed and Fri), except that Tuesday evening's will be cancelled.

Mar 6, 2009
I will be busy all day recruiting graduate students, so no office hours/review session tomorrow (Saturday) from me. However, Jurgen will hold a quiz review in PS H-150 at 12:30PM.

Mar 2, 2009
Apologies, I just realized that I had not posted Wednesday's lecture. It is now up. More...

Mar 3, 2009
Important! The answer key that I provided to the grader for Question #1 on the midterm had an error in the nomenclature question. The sterochemistry at the chiral center is "S" and I accidentally put "R". Consequently, all answers that gave "S" had 2 points deducted in error! It is obviously too late to regrade all tests, so, if had "S" then I owe you two points. If this is you, please send an email to me (no need to bring your test in, there will be too many of you) telling me that I owe you the 2 points and I will update my records. You will have until FRIDAY March 6th to do this. This is also the deadline for submitting regrade requests!

Mar 2, 2009
The answer key for Quiz #6 has been posted, and a new Quiz #7 has been posted. Quiz #7 is due the Saturday AFTER Spring Break. You can submit it at any time before then. More...

Mar 2, 2009
The Weekly Work page has been updated for Week #7. More...

Mar 1, 2009
The results for midterm #1 have been posted. More...

Feb 25, 2009
This weekend, Saturday Feb 28th, I will not be holding office hours/review session since I will be grading the exam all day. Jurgan will, however, hold a quiz review at Noon in H-150.

Feb 25, 2009
Today in class I mentioned that I had a small movie that may help you to understand the complex processes that are involved in determining the relative stereochemistry of the substituents in the Diels-Alder reaction. To access this movie, click HERE.

Feb 25, 2009
Rather late this week, the Weekly Work page has been updated, including this weeks assigned synthesis problems. More...

Feb 24, 2009
The Current Points page has been updated with your scores for the first 5 quizzes. As usual, please check to make sure that there are no errors. More...

Feb 24, 2009
Quiz #6 has been posted, it is due 11:59PM, Saturday Feb 28th. More...

Feb 18, 2009
I decided that the 2 spectral problems on the problem set were not explained very well in the answer key, and also that the problems were not exactly the format that you will see on the tests, so to see problem #1 again, click HERE, and for the updated answer click HERE, so to see problem #2 again, click HERE, and for the updated answer click HERE. Also, these two are harder than you will see this semester, so here is another problem that is more like you will see this semester, click HERE, and for the answer click HERE.

Feb 22, 2009
It has just been brought to my attention that the schedule says that midterm #1 says emphasis on Sections A - C. Ethers/epoxides are section D. Thus, there will be no ethers/epoxides material on midterm #1.

Feb 21, 2009
Yesterday's recorded review session has been posted. More...

Feb 21, 2009
The answer key for Quiz #5 has been posted. More...

Feb 18, 2009
For a list of know errors in the Problem Set, click HERE.

Feb 20, 2009
There was a typo in question 2 on Quiz #5, option D was supposed to read: "D Reaction 1 is reduction and Reaction 2 is reduction". Also, there was no option B! actually, not a lot changes, since the correct answer was affected by these errors, but still, please check the corrected version of this question before you submit your quiz, thanks! if you have already submitted your quiz, you can easily resubmit, the system will take your latest submission only. More...

Feb 20, 2009
On Saturday, Jurgen will hold a quiz review at 1PM in PS H-150. I will hold a midterm review at 3Pm in LS A-191.

Feb 19, 2009
This evenings review session WILL be in LS A-191.

Feb 18, 2009
Updated Information regarding the review sessions. I was extremely busy AGAIN today and didn't have time to reserve a room for tomorrows review. SO, there WILL be a review session, at 6:30PM, Thursday Feb 19th, hopefully in room LS A-191. I will try to find out if LS A-191 will be in use and post something tomorrow during the day. Chad will hold his review session on Friday Feb 20th, at 3PM in LS A-191. To accommodate the Kaplan MCAT test, my second review on Saturday will be 3PM-5PM. Again, I haven't reserved LS A-191, but let's assume that it will not be in use, as usual.

Feb 18, 2009
Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of material that we have covered this semester? Here is some study advice, click HERE, and HERE, and HERE. For a possible strategy for memorization (for the example of learning the functional groups), click HERE.

Feb 18, 2009
The completed version of the Ethers/Epoxides notes has been posted. As usual, please check to make sure that your notes are complete and have no errors. More...

Feb 17, 2009
The current points page has been updated with the scores for the first 4 quizzes. As usual, please make sure that there are no errors, thanks! More...

Feb 17, 2009
Quiz #5 has been posted. It is due 11:59PM, Saturday Feb 21st, so that I can post the answer key before the midterm. The answer key for Quiz #4 has also been posted More...

Feb 16, 2009
The completed version of the Alcohols notes has been posted. As usual, please check to make sure that your notes are complete and have no errors. More...

Feb 16, 2009
Problem Set #1 has been posted. More...

Feb 16, 2009
Reminder, Quiz #4 is due TODAY, Monday Feb 16th. Quiz #5 will be posted tomorrow, and will be due 11:59PM, Saturday Feb 21st, so that I can post the answer key before the midterm. More...

Feb 16, 2009
The weekly work page has been updated for Week #5. The Retrosynthesis website problems will be updated sometime during the day, Monday Feb 16th More...

Feb 13, 2009
There will be a Quiz review by Jurgen tomorrow (Saturday) at 12:30PM in H-150. I will hold a review session on Grignard reagents and synthesis, 2-3PM in LS A-191. As usual, I have not reserved the room, so if it is occupied, assemble outside and we will find another room.

Feb 13, 2009
The answer key for Quiz #3 has been posted, and a new Quiz #4 has been posted. I would like to get one more quiz in before the next midterm so that I can get you practicing Grignard reactions before then, so Quiz #4 is due Monday and Quiz #5 will be due next Saturday, so that I can post the answer key before the final. I apologize for the short time amount of time you will have to work on Quiz #4, but we got behind schedule with the quizzes due to the technical problems at the beginning of the semester. After Quiz 5 we should be back on the usual weekly schedule. If you looked at quiz #4 before 10AM on Friday Feb 13th, then you should look again at Question numbers 6 and 7 since they have both been changed slightly. More...

Feb 11, 2009
Some advance warning regarding review sessions for Midterm #1. Chad will hold a review session on Friday Feb 20th, time and place to be determined. I will probably hold a review session on Thursday Feb 19th in the evening, time and place to be determined. I will probably hold a second review on Saturday afternoon, Feb 21st. I understand that there is a Kaplan MCAT test on that day that is scheduled to finish at 3PM. Consequently, my review on Saturday will start at 3PM instead of the usual 2PM, place to be announced.

Feb 11, 2009
Some clarification concerning the assigned retrosynthesis homework. You must "do" all of the 6 assigned problems this week, by Feb 16th, to receive full credit. There will be six problems assigned each week for the rest of the semester. Of course, to receive the credit, all you have to do in principle is look at the 6 answers, should take about 2 minutes, right :) More...

Feb 9, 2009
The Weekly Work page has been updated for Week #4. As mentioned in class this morning, starting this week you have a new assignment, working Retrosynthesis problems for credit. You will earn 1 point for looking at the problems indicated each week on the ASU Retrosynthesis website. You will need to look at the problems DURING THE WEEK THAT THEY ARE FIRST ASSIGNED TO OBTAIN PROPER CREDIT. You will earn a maximum of 40 points this semester just for looking at retrosynthesis problems. More...

Feb 8, 2009
There will be a spectroscopy problem on EACH midterm and also the final this semester. We will review solving spectral problems in the pre-test review sessions. However, if you would like to review this subject, particularly nmr spectroscopy, I have reposted the relevant lectures on the CHM 233 site. Specifically, for the lectures on nmr spectroscopy please see Lecture #17 (nmr starts half way through this one), Lecture #18, and Lecture #19. Half way through Lecture #19 we started to review solving spectral problems, so even if you are comfortable with nmr, you might like to review the general procdures for spectral problems. Solving spectral problems, including one of the kind that you will see this semester, i.e. starting with the molecular formula, continue in Lecture #20.

Feb 6, 2009
Tomorrow, Saturday Feb 6th, Jurgen will hold a quiz review at 12:30PM in H-150. I will hold a review session at 2 - ca. 3PM, followed by office hours where I can answer your questions. Again, I have not reserved LS A-191, but it usually is not in use. If it is in use, assemble outside and we will go and find another room. The subject of the review session will be acetylide carbon-carbon bond forming reactions, and their application in synthesis.

Feb 5, 2009
Quiz #3 has been posted. You will be able to submit the quiz starting Sunday Feb 8th, the deadline is 11:59 PM, Tuesday Feb 10th. We will try to work back to the same quiz schedule as last semester, i.e., one every week with the same weekly deadline. More...

Feb 4, 2009
The completed version of the Alkynes notes has been posted. As usual, please make sure that you notes are complete and do not have any errors. More...

Feb 3, 2009
Apologies, I was off campus all day and didn't realize that the submission page for Quiz #2 was broken. It is now fixed. Because of this I have pushed the deadline back one day, you now have until 11:59PM, Thursday Feb 5th to submit Quiz #2. Quiz #3 will be posted Friday AM. When you submit Quiz #2, you will be asked if you would like to participate in our Chemical Education research Project. If you would like to, please make sure that you click the box to accept before clicking the Continue button. Thanks for your help in this project. More...

Feb 2, 2009
The current points page has been updated with the scores for Quiz #1. Please check to make sure that you can find yourself on my roster and that your score for Quiz #1 was recorded correctly. Please remember that for this semester, correct quiz answers are only worth half of a point, and scores are rounded up. So if you got all 12 questions correct, you will get 6 points, 11 correct also gets 6 points, 10 correct = 5 points, 9 correct = 5 points, 8 correct = 4 points etc. One problem with this is that if you see that you got 6 points, you may not realize that you actually got one of the questions wrong, so please, always check the answer key with your submitted answers. More...

Feb 2, 2009
The weekly work page has been updated for week #3. More...

Jan 31, 2009
If you are hearing occasional "chipmunk" voice glitches in the recorded lectures and review sessions, this can be fixed by upgrading to the latest version of the Abobe Flash player, click HERE. Unless, of course, you find it to be all rather droll and mildly amusing, then feel free not to upgrade and keep on enjoying the chipmunk voice!

Jan 31, 2009
In the review session today I left you with 4 synthesis questions to do on your own. To see the questions, click HERE. To see my answers, click HERE.

Jan 31, 2009
Lecture #5, from Friday, has now been posted, also the recording of today's review session. More...

Jan 30, 2009
Tomorrow, Saturday Jan 31st, Jurgen will hold a quiz review at Noon in H-150. I will also hold office hours/review session from 2PM-3PM in LS A-191. The subject of the review will be solving synthesis problems. As usual if LS A-191 is occupied, assemble outside and we will go and find another room.

Jan 29, 2009
Quiz #2 has been posted. For technical reasons (again!) you will not be able to submit this quiz until next Tuesday, the deadline will be 11:59PM, Wednesday February 4th. Your scores for Quiz #1 will be posted on Friday afternoon (Jan 30th). More...

Jan 26, 2009
The completed version of the Retrosynthesis notes has been posted. Please check your notes to make sure that they are complete and without errors. More...

Jan 26, 2009
HONORS STUDENTS, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Jan 26, 2009
You will be able to submit Quiz #1 starting ca. 9AM, Tuesday January 27th. The deadline is 11:59PM, Wednesday, January 28th. I pushed the deadline back one day because I forgot to announce that the quiz was due Tuesday today in class. More...

Jan 26, 2009
The Weekly Work page has been updated for Week #2. More...

Jan 24, 2009
Todays review session has been posted on the Recorded Lectures Page. More...

Jan 23, 2009
The first review session will be held tomorrow, Saturday Jan 24th, 2-3PM. The review session will be recorded in case you can't attend. I will be available to answer general questions after the review. The subject will be reactions that you are supposed to know from last semester, and we will also do some simple synthesis problems if there is enough time. I forgot to reserve our classroom, but I doubt that it will be in use. So, if it IS in use, assemble outside the room, LS A-191, and if necessary we will go and find another empty one.

Jan 22, 2009
In past years I have collected email addresses for students who wanted to setup study groups for this class. Last semester, however, the number of names became overwhelming, and so a class member setup a Facebook page to help students in the class coordinate study groups. I hope that this will be useful this semester too. More...

Jan 21, 2009
If you need to review or catch up with the important first semester material, start by visiting the first semester webpage, click HERE

If you would like to review the summary of first semester reactions give in lecture 1, together with links to the appropriate pages in the first semester notes, click HERE
Now, test yourself on writing the products, click HERE
Now, test yourself on writing the reagents/conditions, click HERE
Now, test yourself on writing the reactant structures, click HERE

Take a look at the first semester final, click HERE.
To see the answer key for the final, click HERE. If there is anything on there that you don't understand or haven't seen before, make a note of it and come and see me as soon as possible!

Jan 1, 2009
Each week assigned problems and other materials are given on a "Weekly Work" page. The Weekly Work page has been updated with problems for Week 1 More...

Jan 1, 2009
The link to the online lectures has been moved to the main menubar. More...

Jan 1, 2009
Quiz #1 has been posted, go to the Quiz page via the link above. You will not be able to submit the quiz until Tuesday, Jan 27th, i.e. after the drop/add deadline, when you can submit it between 9 AM and 11:59 PM. The answers to the quiz questions can be found on this website in the Syllabus, the Study Advice page and the Why Study Organic Chemistry pages. More...

Jan 1, 2009
In this class we use "Gapped" Lecture Notes. You will need to obtain a copy of these notes, the least expensive way for most people to do this will be to buy a copy of the notes from Alphagraphics More...

Jan 1, 2009
I will get many questions about whether another textbook can be used in this class instead of the Required Bruice Organic Chemistry, 5th Edition and Required Solution Manual. In all honesty, you can learn most of what you need to know from just about any organic textbook, they are all quite similar. However, the most important part of the textbook is the practice problems, and I will be assigning problems from Bruice 5th edition. I simply can't assign problems from any other textbook or from any earlier edition of Bruice (the problem numbers are different in earlier editions). I also provide a detailed correlation between my notes and the appropriate sections in Bruice 5th Edition. SO, it isn't impossible to do well in this course without Bruice 5th Edition, but it will be much easier for you if you use the 5TH edition of BRUICE. The textbook is also available as an "E-book" at significantly reduced cost. The E-book comes with a printable version of the Solutions Manual and provides access to the text online for ONE YEAR only. I cannot recommend any particular version of the book since different students have different needs, For example, some may want a permanent hard copy of book to study for the MCAT exam. All versions of the textbook come with a FREE online subscription to "Course Compass". I do not use Course Compass, but you may find some useful study material there. Also, all of the other organic instructors at ASU use it so save your access code just in case! Also Required is a Molecular Model Kit. I highly recommend the HGS Molecular Structure Model C Set for Organic Chemistry, or similar. I DO NOT RECOMMEND the Prentice Hall model kit, try to get an HGS kit or similar.

Jan 1, 2009
It is not possible for me to give an override into this class since we are at room capacity. If you really want to get into this class, come during the first week and be persistent in trying to register online. There will be a lot of drop/add activity during the first week, persistence usually pays off.

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