Oxazoles, Volume 60, Part A

Book excerpt: The Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds series attempts to make the extraordinarily complex and diverse field of heterocyclic chemistry as organized and readily accessible as possible, presenting a basic reference collection for practicing researchers. Volume 60, Oxazoles: Synthesis, Reactions, and Spectroscopy, Part A proves the sole comprehensive resource on the synthetic chemistry of oxazoles–heterocyclic compounds containing nitrogen and oxygen, specifically five-membered, unsaturated rings. Oxazoles have a wide variety of applications in synthetic organic chemistry and have been found in numerous natural products such as hennoxazole, thiangazole, calyculin, halicondrins, pyrenolide, virginiamycin, amphotericin, and phorboxazoles. This volume provides an authoritative review of the literature since 1983, highlights compounds of commerical importance, and includes in-depth coverage of the synthesis, reactions, and spectroscopic and physical properties for each class of compounds. It also discusses in detail the exciting developments on the use of chiral bioxazolines in asymmetric synthesis.