Organic Chemistry of Carbonyl Compounds

Carbonyl chemistry is the engine room of organic synthesis — almost every biologically and industrially relevant transformation runs through a C=O group, and this course is about learning to predict and manipulate that reactivity systematically. Building on the foundations from CHEM 232, you'll work through the mechanisms of aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acid derivatives, and their alpha-carbon chemistry, then extend the same logic to amines, phenols, and the carbonyl-rich biomolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids) that bridge into biochemistry. Expect mechanism-heavy problem sets, two midterms, and a final, with Solomons as the anchor text. Mastering this material is what makes downstream coursework in medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, and synthesis tractable rather than a sea of arrows to memorize.