Natural Products in the Chemical Industry

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XVIII

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2. Introduction

   • Bernd Schaefer

   Pages 1-11

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3. Colourants

   • Bernd Schaefer

   Pages 13-44

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4. Flavours and Fragrances

   • Bernd Schaefer

   Pages 45-168

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5. Amino acids

   • Bernd Schaefer

   Pages 169-208

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6. Pharmaceuticals

   • Bernd Schaefer

   Pages 209-518

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7. Hormones

   • Bernd Schaefer

   Pages 519-587

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8. Vitamins

   • Bernd Schaefer

   Pages 589-676

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9. Agrochemicals

   • Bernd Schaefer

   Pages 677-788

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10. Back Matter

    Pages 811-856

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Natural Products in the Chemical Industry is not a conventional textbook, but rather an invitation to join an entertaining journey that takes you into the fascinating world of natural products. This book features diverse compound classes from a number of areas: colour­ants, fragrances and flavourings, amino acids, pharmaceuticals, hormones, vitamins and agrochemicals. Whether you are a teacher or a scholar, an undergraduate or gradu­ate student, a professional chemist in industry or academia, or someone just interested in natural sciences, this book allows you to be inspired and entertained by facts and information along with enjoyable anecdotes, historical, economic, political, biologi­cal and social considerations. Experts in the field can have a pleasurable time cruis­ing through captivating synthesis methods, which enable the generation of complex molecules on industrial scale.

This book

· deals with the manufacturing of larger quantities of complex molecules (asymmetric and heterocyclic compounds, polycyclic structures, macrocycles and small rings)

· displays all reaction schemes in colour, which makes them easy to read

· highlights aesthetics and elegance in modern industrial organic chemistry

• Natural products chemistry
• agrochemicals
• amino acids
• drugs
• dyestuffs
• fragrances
• hormones
• organic chemistry
• pharmaceutical chemistry
• vitamins

“Schaefer … has written an outstanding text for anyone with a chemistry background who enjoys learning about and understanding the connection between the historical and present-day pharmaceutical, fine, and specialty chemical industries. … Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, researchers/faculty, and professionals/practitioners.” (L. J. Liotta, Choice, Vol. 53 (1), September, 2015)

“... Die Auswahl umfasst viele der größten Erfolge in der Geschichte der angewandten Naturstoff-Forschung, und der Leser erhält auf diese Weise einen guten Überblick über die Historie und die Bedeutung der Naturstoffe für die menschliche Zivilisation. ... Studierende der Chemie und Pharmazie im leicht fortgeschrittenen Stadium und selbst Wissenschaftler, die fachverwandten Disziplinen angehören, sicherlich über die Lektüre dieses Buchs einen guten Einstieg in diese faszinierende Thematik finden ...” (Frank Surup, Marc Stadler, in: Angewandte Chemie,Jg. 127, Heft 31, Juli 2015) 


“The author describes the motivations for industrial chemistry, and explains the importance of cost-efficient total syntheses. … this book is highly recommended … . We are sure that this book will have a strong impact, considering on the one hand the revival of interest in natural products in the age of multi-resistant human and plant pathogens, and on the other hand the emphasis on bio-economy in various areas of life sciences and biotechnology.” (Frank Surup and Marc Stadler, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Vol. 54 (31), July, 2015)

“This book describes natural products chemistry with the eyes of an industrial chemist. … Each chapter is abundantly illustrated and very agreeable to read. … The book is very pleasant to read, instructive and very didactic. The study of various retrosynthetic analyses … will be of great interest to undergraduate students. … This book should be part of any chemist’s library who is interested in natural product chemistry.” (Prof. Dr. Paul Knochel, Synthesis, Vol. 47,2015)          
“The textbook “Natural Products in the Chemical Industry” from Bernd Schaefer comprises a fresh and holistic overview of the economically important natural products such as colorants, fragrances and flavorings, amino acids, pharmaceuticals, hormones, vitamins and agrochemicals. ... To sum up, the author managed to give a broad overview of natural products for the educated organic chemist, who may have heard and learned several aspects throughout his studies and beyond, which come all together in this book. The monograph is also of high use for those teaching organic chemistry, by providing many interesting examples, anecdotes, and historical backgrounds to accompany the usual mechanism-based learning.” (Prof. François Diederich, ETH Zurich)

“One has to congratulate Bernd Schaefer for this extraordinary achievement. His book holds a unique position among the many publications on natural products chemistry, providing a view from an industrial perspective. It is a pleasure to read through the different chapters, which are all written in a very clear and lively style. The graphically attractive layout with rich illustrations animates the reader to browse through the book. The author has done a superb job in covering all aspects of natural products chemistry including historical aspects and the impact on medicine and society. His book will serve as a rich source of inspiration for students, rese archers, and academic teachers.” (Prof. Andreas Pfaltz, University of Basel, June 2015)

“Bernd Schaefer’s sparkish enthusiasm for the topic electrifies the readers. This book is a unique and definitive resource and an absolute must-have for all chemists, interested in synthesis of natural products.” (Prof. Benjamin List, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Germany, May 2015)

“This book would be especially beneficial to the graduate students who are majoring organic and medicinal chemistry, not to mention of the people who are already in the chemical industry as well as in academia of chemical science.” (Prof. Sangho Koo, Myong Ji University, Korea, April 2015)

“This unique book is a labor of love of Dr. Bernd Schaefer of the BASF who has an immense appreciation of the evolution of the field of natural products and their chemistry from discovery, to synthesis, and to industrial production. If you are a student, a teacher, a chemist in industry or academia who maintains a thirst for scientific knowledge and looking for fun with science, you may want to consider placing it on your night stand.” (Prof. Victor Snieckus, Queen’s University, Canada, March 2015)

• BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany

  Bernd Schaefer

Bernd Schaefer studied chemistry in Kaiserslautern and received his PhD for research on metal-catalysed, stereoselective cycloadditions of methylenecyclopropanes to electron-deficient olefins from the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung in Mülheim, Germany. His professional career at BASF covers research and development in the areas of plant protection, pharmaceutical chemistry and fine chemicals. In 2000, Bernd Schaefer was appointed lecturer and in 2009 Honorary Professor at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg. Besides natural product chemistry, his special areas of interest include catalysis and enantioselective synthesis.

This work was carefully translated by David Smith and Bernd Janssen.    

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