'Total Synthesis of Natural Products' is written and edited by some of today's leaders in organic chemistry. Eleven chapters cover a range of natural products, from steroids to alkaloids. Each chapter contains an introduction to the natural product in question, descriptions of its biological and pharmacological properties and outlines of total synthesis procedures already carried out. Particular emphasis is placed on novel methodologies developed by the respective authors and their research groups. This text is ideal for graduate and advanced undergraduate students, as well as organic chemists in academia and industry.

The third edition contains major improvements over the previous edition. In addition to updated references, each reaction is now supplemented with two to three representative examples in synthesis to showcase its synthetic utility. Biographical sketches for the chemists who discovered or developed those name reactions have been included. Furthemore, the subject index is significantly expanded.

Different from other books on name reactions in organic chemistry, Name Reactions, A Collection of Detailed Reaction Mechanisms focuses on their mechanisms. It covers over 300 classical as well as contemporary name reactions. Each reaction is delineated by its detailed step-by-step, electron-pushing mechanism, supplemented with the original and the latest references, especially review articles. Thus, it is not only an indispensable resource for senior undergraduate and graduate students for learning and exams, but also a good reference book for all chemists interested in name reactions.

Some praise for the previous edition:

"This is an excellent book for arrow pushing and learning organic name reactions as encountered in graduate school . . . Lia (TM)s book contains reactions of all mechanistic classes . . . The book is nicely balanced, containing modern-day reactions for assembly of stereocomplex molecules. Reactions such as the Corey-Bakshi-Shibata reduction are analyzed. This book is a good reference text that fills a void that has existed for some time. It is both an excellent tool for learning and a good reference source."

Journal of Chemical Education

Drug Discovery with Privileged Building Blocks traces back PharmaBlock's founding philosophy of designing privileged building blocks. High-quality building blocks are crucial not only to biological activities of different molecules but also to ADMET properties, which eventually will impact the success rate of drug discovery projects. A thorough study of how building blocks perform in drug molecules and a regular analysis of new building block structures in the latest researches have proven to be a fruitful strategy to generate novel building blocks. Using this strategy, PharmaBlock has supplied the drug industry with a great number of building blocks, which are increasingly being adopted by drug hunters, and these are identified in this book. Each chapter may be read and studied without learning the previous chapters. This book will be a good starting point for novice medicinal chemists, and veteran medicinal chemists will find it useful as well. Key Feature The book covers privileged building blocks appearing most frequently on patents for novel drugs. The latest relevant tactics are explained in the context of drug design and medicinal chemistry. Key synthesis, especially large-scale synthesis, is described. The most recent literature references are cited.

Drug Discovery with Privileged Building Blocks traces back PharmaBlock's founding philosophy of designing privileged building blocks. High-quality building blocks are crucial not only to biological activities of different molecules but also to ADMET properties, which eventually will impact the success rate of drug discovery projects. A thorough study of how building blocks perform in drug molecules and a regular analysis of new building block structures in the latest researches have proven to be a fruitful strategy to generate novel building blocks. Using this strategy, PharmaBlock has supplied the drug industry with a great number of building blocks, which are increasingly being adopted by drug hunters, and these are identified in this book. Each chapter may be read and studied without learning the previous chapters. This book will be a good starting point for novice medicinal chemists, and veteran medicinal chemists will find it useful as well. Key Feature The book covers privileged building blocks appearing most frequently on patents for novel drugs. The latest relevant tactics are explained in the context of drug design and medicinal chemistry. Key synthesis, especially large-scale synthesis, is described. The most recent literature references are cited.

Blockbuster drugs-each of which generates more than a billion dollars a year in revenue-have revolutionized the industry since the early 1980s, when sales of Tagamet alone transformed a minor Philadelphia-based firm into the world's ninth-largest pharmaceutical company. In Blockbuster Drugs, Jie Jack Li tells the fascinating stories behind the discovery and development of these highly lucrative medicines, while also exploring the tumult the industry now faces as the "patent cliff" nears. Having spent most of his career in drug research and development, Li brings an insider's eye to the narrative as he recounts the tales of discovery behind such drugs as Tagamet, Zantac, Claritin, Prilosec, Nexium, Serouquel, Plavix, and Ambien. As he discusses each breakthrough, Li also shows that scientific research is filled with human drama-serendipitous discoveries, sudden insights, tense confrontations. For instance, the author tells of James Black, who persisted in the research that led to Tagamet-and that would ultimately win him a Nobel Prize-despite pressure from top executives to pursue "more profitable" work. The book shows how research behind Prilosec combined creativity, international cooperation, and luck-the turning point being a chance encounter of American and Swedish scientists at a conference in Uppsala. There are also tales of fabulous rewards-George Rieveschl, the chemist who invented Benadryl, made a fortune on royalties-and of unjust desserts. Finally, Li shows that for the world's largest prescription drug manufacturers, recent years have been harrowing, as many popular drugs have come off patent in the U.S. market, meaning hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenue. Anyone who enjoys tales of scientific discovery, or is curious about the history behind the prescriptions they take, or wants a revealing inside look at the pharmaceutical industry will find this book well worth reading.

Over 25 million people in the U.S. alone have benefited from statins--such drugs as Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, Pravachol, and other cholesterol-lowering medicines--in preventing stroke, heart attack, and other forms of coronary heart disease. But how did these remarkable, life-saving drugs come into being? In Triumph of the Heart, Dr. Jie Jack Li, a medicinal chemist and expert on drug discovery, tells for the first time the fascinating story of statins. Drawn from discussions with many scientists involved in the discovery and development of these drugs, the book illuminates the human side of science by revealing the role played by persistence, luck, and sudden insight that characterize major discoveries. For scientists in the drug industry, health care professionals, students of medicine, and all those intrigued by the basic human drive to explore and discover, Triumph of the Heart offers a compelling view of one of the most important drug discoveries of our time.

Carbocation chemistry is not only fundamental to the advancement of organic chemistry, it also has found widespread applications in organic synthesis. It is not an exaggeration to say that carbocation chemistry is part of the foundation of organic chemistry. Carbocation Chemistry: Applications in Organic Synthesis provides a panoramic view of carbocation chemistry with an emphasis on synthetic applications. This book is an invaluable tool for organic, medicinal and analytical chemists, including those working in biochemistry as well as the petroleum, plastics and pharmaceutical industries. It is also suitable for upper level undergraduates and graduates in organic chemistry, biochemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Greener than conventional methods, C-H activation methods have flourished during the last decade and become especially attractive to organic chemists. Edited by a practioner in this rapidly developing field, C-H Bond Activation in Organic Synthesis provides an overview of this exciting playground of chemistry. The book summarizes the state of the art in C-H activation for functionalization, enabling you to carry out reactions in the most environmentally friendly fashion with the least contamination of by-products. The most popular C-H activation reactions are catalyzed by transition metals. This book dedicates a chapter to each of the following catalysts: palladium, rhodium, nickel, iron, copper, and cobalt. In addition, it covers radical-mediated C-H activation, fluorination via C-H activation, and C-H activation of heterocycles. Using a pedagogically practical approach, each chapter is divided by the transition metal catalyst, not a specific transformation. This gives you an up-to-date review of the most important topics of C-H activation. The area of C-H activation has experienced a flurry of activity over the past two decades, so the time is right for a resource that summarizes these powerful tools with which you can design and construct heteroaromatic molecules. Thus, direct C-H functionalization methods are expected to continue to greatly contribute to the mission of green chemistry: low-energy, waste-free, and atom-economic transformations for the synthesis of organic materials and biologically active molecules in the twenty-first century. Using this book, you can carry out environmentally friendly reactions that enable the conversion of cheap and abundant alkanes into valuable functionalized organic compounds.

Greener than conventional methods, C-H activation methods have flourished during the last decade and become especially attractive to organic chemists. Edited by a practioner in this rapidly developing field, C-H Bond Activation in Organic Synthesis provides an overview of this exciting playground of chemistry. The book summarizes the state of the art in C-H activation for functionalization, enabling you to carry out reactions in the most environmentally friendly fashion with the least contamination of by-products. The most popular C-H activation reactions are catalyzed by transition metals. This book dedicates a chapter to each of the following catalysts: palladium, rhodium, nickel, iron, copper, and cobalt. In addition, it covers radical-mediated C-H activation, fluorination via C-H activation, and C-H activation of heterocycles. Using a pedagogically practical approach, each chapter is divided by the transition metal catalyst, not a specific transformation. This gives you an up-to-date review of the most important topics of C-H activation. The area of C-H activation has experienced a flurry of activity over the past two decades, so the time is right for a resource that summarizes these powerful tools with which you can design and construct heteroaromatic molecules. Thus, direct C-H functionalization methods are expected to continue to greatly contribute to the mission of green chemistry: low-energy, waste-free, and atom-economic transformations for the synthesis of organic materials and biologically active molecules in the twenty-first century. Using this book, you can carry out environmentally friendly reactions that enable the conversion of cheap and abundant alkanes into valuable functionalized organic compounds.

In this fifth edition of Jack Jie Li's seminal "Name Reactions", the author has added twenty-seven new name reactions to reflect the recent advances in organic chemistry. As in previous editions, each reaction is delineated by its detailed step-by-step, electron-pushing mechanism and supplemented with the original and the latest references, especially from review articles. Now with addition of many synthetic applications, this book is not only an indispensable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, but is also a good reference book for all organic chemists in both industry and academia. Unlike other books on name reactions in organic chemistry, Name Reactions, A Collection of Detailed Reaction Mechanisms and Synthetic Applications focuses on the reaction mechanisms. It covers over 320 classical as well as contemporary name reactions.

'Total Synthesis of Natural Products' is written and edited by some of today's leaders in organic chemistry. Eleven chapters cover a range of natural products, from steroids to alkaloids. Each chapter contains an introduction to the natural product in question, descriptions of its biological and pharmacological properties and outlines of total synthesis procedures already carried out. Particular emphasis is placed on novel methodologies developed by the respective authors and their research groups. This text is ideal for graduate and advanced undergraduate students, as well as organic chemists in academia and industry.

Drugs like Lipitor, Plavix, Taxol, and Zoloft are integral in today's medicinal world. These widely used products save lives and improve the quality of lives, playing a crucial role in everything from cholesterol management to cancer treatment. These advances in medicine were brought into existence after nuanced process of creation, featuring a wide range of chemical and pharmacological experimentation and discovery. Top Drugs: Their History, Pharmacology, and Synthesis provides an in-depth study on ten prominent drugs, outlining the chemistry behind each one's creation. Jie Jack Li, a medicinal chemist and an expert on drug discovery, offers a thorough analysis of the landscape of current drug development. The comprehensive text is divided by health issues, including cardiovascular, cancer, metabolic diseases, and infectious diseases. Each section features individual chapters on significant drugs, outlining the chemistry and history of the drug's discovery. Li begins each chapter with the product's history, providing necessary context. Li then proceeds to describe the mechanism of action, structure-activity relationship (SAR), bioavailability, metabolism, toxicology, the discovery route, and the process route. Top Drugs: Their History, Pharmacology, and Synthesis will acclimate students, scientists, and interested laypersons to the world of chemistry and drug discovery.

It's time to examine the human history of viruses, vaccines, and antiviral drugs... Public response to the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that misinformation about viruses is widespread. Vaccine skepticism is rampant, and many people have been quick to accept bogus claims unsupported by science. In his latest book, Jie Jack Li sets the record straight by revealing the science and history behind antiviral drugs. Conquest of Invisible Enemies: A Human History of Antiviral Drugs guides readers through the history of viruses, vaccinations, and treatments. Readers learn about the discovery of viruses and diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). The first chapter takes an expansive look at how viruses have shaped human history. Subsequent chapters narrow in on specific viruses, diseases, and drug treatments. For example, chapter four, on influenza, looks at the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, the history of vaccination efforts, and influenza drugs and vaccines today. Chapter five, on coronaviruses, considers drug treatments for SARS, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2. It also discusses the development of COVID-19 vaccines and drugs. Conquest of Invisible Enemies: A Human History of Antiviral Drugs focuses on the human drama behind drug discovery. Written in an engaging and accessible style, Li's timely book dispels common misconceptions about viruses and treatments and places the COVID-19 pandemic in historical context.

In this sixth edition of Jack Jie Li's seminal "Name Reactions", the author has added three or more synthetic applications of name reactions to reflect the recent advances in organic chemistry. As in previous editions, each reaction is delineated by its detailed step-by-step, electron-pushing mechanism and supplemented with the original and the latest references, especially from review articles. This book is not only an indispensable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students for learning and preparing exams, but is also a good reference book for all organic chemists in both industry and academia. Unlike other books on name reactions in organic chemistry, Name Reactions, A Collection of Detailed Reaction Mechanisms and Synthetic Applications focuses on the reaction mechanisms. It covers over 300 classical as well as contemporary name reactions.

Searching for reaction in organic synthesis has been made much easier in the current age of computer databases. However, the dilemma now is which procedure one selects among the ocean of choices. Especially for novices in the laboratory, it becomes a daunting task to decide what reaction conditions to experiment with first in order to have the best chance of success. This collection intends to serve as an "older and wiser lab-mate" one could have by compiling many of the most commonly used experimental procedures in organic synthesis. With chapters that cover such topics as functional group manipulations, oxidation, reduction, and carbon-carbon bond formation, Modern Organic Synthesis in the Laboratory will be useful for both graduate students and professors in organic chemistry and medicinal chemists in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.

Searching for reaction in organic synthesis has been made much easier in the current age of computer databases. However, the dilemma now is which procedure one selects among the ocean of choices. Especially for novices in the laboratory, it becomes a daunting task to decide what reaction conditions to experiment with first in order to have the best chance of success. This collection intends to serve as an "older and wiser lab-mate" one could have by compiling many of the most commonly used experimental procedures in organic synthesis. With chapters that cover such topics as functional group manipulations, oxidation, reduction, and carbon-carbon bond formation, Modern Organic Synthesis in the Laboratory will be useful for both graduate students and professors in organic chemistry and medicinal chemists in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.

The stories behind drug discovery are fascinating, full of human and scientific interest. This is a book on the history of drug discovery that highlights the intellectual splendor of discoverers as well as the human frailty associated them. History is replete with examples of breakthrough medicines that have saved millions of lives. Ether as an anesthetic by Morton; penicillin as an antibiotic by Fleming; and insulin as an anti-diabetic by Banting are just a few examples. The discoverers of these medicines are doubtlessly benefactors to mankind--for instance, without penicillin, 75% of us probably would not be alive because some of our parents or grandparents would have succumbed to infections.
Dr. Jack Li, a medicinal chemist who is intimately involved with drug discovery, has assembled an astounding amount of facts and information behind important drugs through extensive literature research and interviews with many inventors of the drugs including Viagra and Lipitor. There have been many myths and inaccuracies associated with those legendary drugs. The inventors perspectives afforded this book an invaluable accuracy and insight because history is not history unless it is true.
The text is supplemented by many anecdotes, pictures and postage stamps. Both specialist and layman will find Laughing Gas, Viagra, and Lipitor informative and entertaining. Students in chemistry, pharmacy, and medicine, workers in healthcare and high school science teachers will find this book most useful.

Carbocation chemistry is not only fundamental to the advancement of organic chemistry, it also has found widespread applications in organic synthesis. It is not an exaggeration to say that carbocation chemistry is part of the foundation of organic chemistry. Carbocation Chemistry: Applications in Organic Synthesis provides a panoramic view of carbocation chemistry with an emphasis on synthetic applications. This book is an invaluable tool for organic, medicinal and analytical chemists, including those working in biochemistry as well as the petroleum, plastics and pharmaceutical industries. It is also suitable for upper level undergraduates and graduates in organic chemistry, biochemistry and medicinal chemistry.