Cyclopropanes in Organic Synthesis

Used in total synthesis of natural products and other complex molecules, cyclopropanes can be conveniently prepared with different approaches and used as intermediates to make target–directed organic transformations  more efficient. The synthetic potential of cyclopropane derivatives is often overlooked but is nonetheless universal and could be more efficient than standard approaches.

This book provides a comprehensive review of cyclopropanes their properties, preparation, synthesis, and applications. It includes comprehensive references and synopses of review articles on  experimental data and theoretical interpretations of the geometry of cyclopropanes and also discusses typical transformations of substituted cyclopropanes, derivatives, and intermediates, with emphasis on highly selective transformations of easily available cyclopropane precursors. The author provides a detailed description of successful applications of cyclopropane approaches in target–oriented syntheses classified by the class of the target structures and  transformation type, and mode of the activation of the cyclopropane ring toward its cleavage.

Overall, the book stresses universality, experimental efficiency, and strategic importance of synthetic methodologies based on an efficient preparation of cyclopropane derivatives and their involvement in smooth ring opening or fragmentation reactions with inexpensive reagents. A valuable guide for practicing chemists, this book offers key features that include:

          A resource to help readers better understand cyclopropane applications for the efficient realization of synthetically important organic transformations and popular experimental procedures
          New developments and up–to–date information that will lead to original methodologies for complex organic synthesis
          Focus on the synthetic potential of cyclopropane applications, as well on their planning by retrosynthetic analysis

Oleg Kulinkovich was the head of the Department of Organic Chemistry from 1993–2003 and the head of the Laboratory of Organoelement Synthesis at Belarusian State University and visiting professor at Tallinn University of Technology. His seminal work on titanium–catalyzed cyclopropanation of carboxylic esters with Grignard reagents bearing –hydrogen atoms (Kulinkovich reaction) is very well–known. Dr. Kulinkovich has published several reviews and original articles on organic synthesis in leading international journals.