(from preface)
In the first chapter, D. S. Donald and O. W. Webster summarize much fundamental heterocyclic chemistry dealing with the preparation of heterocycles from hydrogen cyanide and its derivatives, mostly previously available only in the patent literature. In the second, the account of the ring-opening of five-membered heteroaromatic anions by T. L. Gilchrist brings together the numerous transformations that can succeed the removal of a proton from a carbon atom in a five-membered heterocyclic ring.
A group of Italian workers from Modena, led by Professor Taddei, has reviewed published work on the conformations of acyl groups in heterocyclic compounds, including both C-acyl and N-acyl derivatives. The first recent review of the basicity and acidity of azoles, covering both gas-phase and solution measurements, is presented by a group of Spanish workers (Catalan et aL). H. Weber has summarized the considerable recent progress in oxidative transformations of heteroaromatic iminium salts.
Finally, a group of Egyptian workers led by Professor Elnagdi has covered the pyrazolopyrimidines, ring systems receiving increasing interest, but never previously reviewed.
The innovations that were mentioned in the preface to Volume 40 of the series have been well received, in particular, the new system used for the references and the arrangements for the indexing. As indicated in the preface to Volume 40, the next index volume will be Volume 45.