Skip to main content
Chemistry LibreTexts

Preface

  • Page ID
    23788
    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Structure and Reactivity of Carbohydrate Radicals is the first Volume in the series Radical Reactions of Carbohydrates. Volume I contains eleven chapters that describe the basic chem­istry of carbohydrate radicals. The first of these chapters briefly outlines the emergence of radical re­ac­tions in organic chemistry and links these reactions to carbohydrates. The next two chap­ters intro­duce radical chain (Chapter 2) and nonchain (Chapter 3) reactions. Chapter 4 cata­logs and illu­strates elementary radical reactions of carbohydrates, and Chapter 5 shows how these reactions are combined into sequential processes. Once a foundation has been established by the first five chapters, discussion turns to how radical structure and conformation (Chapter 6), radical phi­lic­ity (Chapter 7), and reaction rates (Chapter 8) affect radical reactivity. The final chapters build on the information from earlier ones to explain how the more complex phe­nomena of chemo­se­lec­tivity (Chapter 9), regioselectivity (Chapter 10), and stereoselectivity (Chap­ter 11) are applied to un­der­standing radical reactions of car­bo­hydrates.

    This book is directed toward a broad range of scientists. It provides the information needed for an individual to start with a basic understanding of organic chemistry and reach the current level of understanding of the radical chemistry important in the study of carbohydrates. It also serves as a resource for experienced researchers who may wish to review some aspect of the field and, at the same time, find references to the primary literature. Other scientists who may find this book useful are persons whose primary interest is in radical chemistry but who recognize the expanded understanding of radicals that comes from studying reactions of carbohydrates, that is, reactions of polyfunctional molecules that differ in stereo­chemistry in a systematic way.

    A look ahead to Volume II in this series finds Radical Reactions in Carbohydrate Syn­thesis, a book containing twenty-four chapters that describe and analyze radical reactions as they are used in carbohydrate chemistry. Each of the first nineteen chapters in Volume II is devoted to dis­cussion of the radical reactions of a particular type of carbohydrate derivative. The remaining chap­ters describe how transition-metal complexes are used either to generate carbo­hydrate radicals or form radicals that react with carbohydrates. Taken together the twenty-four chapters in Volume II provide a complete picture of radical reactions involving carbohydrates.

    About the Authors

    Roger and Edie Binkley are retired and live in Oberlin, Ohio. One of their activities is to write about carbohydrate chemistry. Their first joint effort was the book Carbohydrate Photo­chemistry. Roger is presently an Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at Cleveland State University and an Affiliate Scholar at Oberlin College. Edie has an undergraduate degree in chemistry and spent many years teaching the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school system.

    • Was this article helpful?