[anos99]

I left organic chemistry about 5 years ago and transferred over to molecular and cell biology, I've gotten rusty and would love to catch up on recent developments in synthetic organic chemistry. Would love to be pointed in the direction of some great review articles or textbooks that can freshen me up on modern techniques and approaches. Mostly for general synthesis as opposed to bespoke total syntheses. Any ideas?

[rolnor]

Five years is not so long time but you need to specify some areas of interest. People are still doing a lot of variations on the Suzuki-coupling for example but its not really improved in the last years mainly because its not possible to improve. Offcourse there is a lot if new chemistry but textbooks are similar now five years later. Maybe in enantioselective synthesis there are some new things like organocatalysis.

[simoneraineop]

I left organic chemistry about 5 years ago and transferred over to molecular and cell biology, I've gotten rusty and would love to catch up on recent developments in synthetic organic chemistry. Would love to be pointed in the direction of some great review articles or textbooks that can freshen me up on modern techniques and approaches. Mostly for general synthesis as opposed to bespoke total syntheses. Any ideas?

Absolutely, catching up on recent developments in synthetic organic chemistry is a great initiative. Here are some resources, including review articles and textbooks, that can help you get up to speed:

Review Articles:
"Recent Advances in Transition Metal-Catalyzed Reactions of Alkynes"

Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2018, 83, 6529-6535
This review discusses recent developments in transition metal-catalyzed reactions involving alkynes.
"New Strategies in Organic Synthesis: The Role of Photoredox Catalysis"

European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2019, 17-32
A review on the use of photoredox catalysis as a powerful tool in organic synthesis.
"C–H Activation for the Construction of C–C Bonds"

Chemical Reviews, 2017, 117, 8754–8786
This review covers the advancements in C–H activation reactions, an area that has seen significant progress in recent years.
"Advances in Transition Metal-Catalyzed Direct Arylation of (Hetero)Arenes"

Synthesis, 2017, 49, 17–38
An overview of recent developments in transition metal-catalyzed direct arylation reactions.
Textbooks:
"Advanced Organic Chemistry: Part A: Structure and Mechanisms" by Francis A. Carey and Richard J. Sundberg

This is a classic textbook that covers the fundamental principles of organic chemistry. While not focused solely on recent developments, it provides a solid foundation.
"Modern Organic Synthesis: An Introduction" by George S. Zweifel, Michael H. Nantz, and Peter Somfai

This book offers an introduction to modern synthetic strategies and tactics in organic chemistry.
"Strategic Applications of Named Reactions in Organic Synthesis" by Laszlo Kurti and Barbara Czako

While not the newest book, it provides a valuable resource on named reactions and their applications, making it a good reference for synthetic strategies.
"Contemporary Drug Synthesis" by Jie Jack Li and Douglas S. Johnson

Focused on the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, this book highlights modern synthetic methods in the context of drug development.
Journals:
"Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS)"

JACS regularly publishes articles covering a wide range of topics in organic chemistry.
"Organic Letters"

This journal features concise, peer-reviewed letters on all aspects of organic chemistry, including new synthetic methods.
"Angewandte Chemie International Edition"

A journal that publishes significant original research and reviews in all fields of chemistry, including organic synthesis.
Remember to check your institutional access to these resources or use platforms like ResearchGate and Academia.edu to find and access these articles. Happy reading and catching up on synthetic organic chemistry!

[rolnor]

People seem to mostly repeat the Stille and the Suzuki coupling in different ways, five years is not long. Maybe the "new" click-chemistry could be relevant?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Click_chemistry