Courses taught by Dr. Blakemore

It has been over forty years since Woodward and Hoffmann disclosed the principle of orbital symmetry conservation for concerted reactions. We shall explore this important concept in detail and learn how to apply the resulting Woodward-Hoffmann "rules" to the four classes of pericyclic reactions: cycloaddition, electrocyclization, sigmatropic shift, and group transfer. To further aid our understanding of these intriguing reactions, the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) theory of Fukui, which provides a different but essentially equivalent viewpoint of orbital symmetry conservation, will be covered in parallel. Essential elements of organic photochemistry will be presented at the end of the course to illustrate just how the excited electronic states necessary for some pericyclic processess are generated and their possible fates.

Courses Taught by Paul Blakemore:– The table below gives brief details for courses taught by Paul, present and up-coming, within the Department of Chemistry at Oregon State University. Further information, and web-based content for these instructional courses, can be found on Blackboard (course registration required to access).
course	term	synopsis
AY 2011-2012
CH637(002)	W12	[CRN#38107] TR 16:00-17:30, Wngr 285
Selected Topics in Organic Chemistry: Pericyclic Rxns & Photochem.		It has been over forty years since Woodward and Hoffmann disclosed the principle of orbital symmetry conservation for concerted reactions. We shall explore this important concept in detail and learn how to apply the resulting Woodward-Hoffmann "rules" to the four classes of pericyclic reactions: cycloaddition, electrocyclization, sigmatropic shift, and group transfer. To further aid our understanding of these intriguing reactions, the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) theory of Fukui, which provides a different but essentially equivalent viewpoint of orbital symmetry conservation, will be covered in parallel. Essential elements of organic photochemistry will be presented at the end of the course to illustrate just how the excited electronic states necessary for some pericyclic processess are generated and their possible fates.
CH336	S12	[CRN#50680] MWF 11:00-12:00, Gilb 124
Organic Chemistry		The CH334/5/6 sequence is an intensive sophomore organic chemistry course for chemistry and biochemistry majors. CH336 carries on from the departure point of CH335 (a prerequisite) and focuses on the chemistry of oxygen and nitrogen atom containing functional groups, including: the carbonyl group (aldehyde, ketones, carboxylic acid derivatives), ethers and alcohols, and amines. The design of multistep syntheses using the reactions learned in CH334/5/6 via the technique of retrosynthetic analysis will be featured in the latter part of the course.
CH632	S12	[CRN#52075] MWF 09:00-09:50, TBA
Advanced Organic Chemistry		CH632 is the final segment in the CH630/1/2 core sequence of advanced level organic chemistry courses offered to graduate students at OSU. Successful completion of this course is a program requirement for all organic division graduate students within the Department of Chemistry. CH632 focuses on modern methods used to effect functional group interconversions within the context of target directed synthesis.