Boyer Research

Heterocyclic Chemistry

Heterocycles are crucial components of imortant molecules found across all facets of every day life.
This course of videos aims to provide a rigourous foundation of heterocyclic chemistry.

A PDF Handout to accompany these lectures is available for download: PDF.
All the videos have been complied to a YouTube playlist: YouTube.
Total running time: 4 hrs 16 mins.

01: Introduction to Heterocyclic Chemistry [06:46]
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02: Revision of Key Concepts [14:09]
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03: Heterocycle Nomenclature [18:47]
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04: Aromaticity [07:48]
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05: Reactivity of 6-Membered Aromatic Heterocycles - Part 1 [29:07]
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06: Reactivity of 6-Membered Aromatic Heterocycles - Part 2 [16:57]
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07: Reactivity of 6-Membered Aromatic Heterocycles - Part 3 [12:40]
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08: Reactivity of 5-Membered Aromatic Heterocycles [19:01]
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09: General Reactivity of Heterocycles [27:06]
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10: Strategy for Heterocycle Synthesis:Cyclisation and Dehydration[29:39]
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11: Synthesis of Furans and Pyrroles [14:41]
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12: Synthesis of Pyridines [14:49]
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13: Synthesis of Isoquinolines and Quinolines [22:39]
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14: Synthesis of Indoles [10:25]
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15: Heterocycle Synthesis by 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition [11:42]
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Course Outline and Aims

  1. Identify and name the most commonly found and most important heterocycles;
  2. Work out when a heterocycle is aromatic and appreciate the different ways in which a heteroatom can contribute to aromaticity;
  3. Explain the reactivity and behaviour of different classes of heterocycles and substituted heterocycles;
  4. Recognise how the structure and reactivity of heterocycles containing two or more heteroatoms correlates with heterocycles possessing a single heteroatom;
  5. Devise or explain the synthesis of key heterocycles based upon basic functional group chemistry and classical heterocyclic syntheses;
  6. Devise or explain the synthesis of heterocycles containing two or more heteroatoms and recognise the relationship to the syntheses of those containing a single heteroatom; and
  7. Appreciate the pivotal importance of heterocycles in important molecules.

Example Question and Solution