TOPIC 20

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

20.2
SYNTHETIC ROUTES

By: Merinda Sautel

Alameda Int’l Jr/Sr High School
Lakewood, CO
msautel@jeffco.k12.co.us
ESSENTIAL IDEA
Organic synthesis is the systematic
preparation of a compound from a
widely available starting material or the
synthesis of a compound via a
synthetic route that often can involve a
series of different steps.
NATURE OF SCIENCE (1.3)
Scientific method—in synthetic design, the
thinking process of the organic chemist is one
which invokes retro-synthesis and the ability to
think in a reverse-like manner.
INTERNATIONAL-MINDEDNESS

How important are natural

products to developing
countries? Explore some
specific examples of natural
products available in developing
countries which are important to
the developed world.
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE

A retro-synthetic approach is
often used in the design of
synthetic routes. What are the
roles of imagination, intuition
and reasoning in finding
solutions to practical problems?
UNDERSTANDING/KEY IDEA
20.2.A
The synthesis of an organic
compound stems from a readily
available starting material via a
series of discrete steps. Functional
group interconversions are the
basis of such synthetic routes.
APPLICATION/SKILLS
Be able to deduce multi-step
synthetic routes given starting
reagents and the product(s).
 When given the starting substance and
the product, you should be able to predict
a reaction route.
 This may be a series of steps.
 You will be expected to know up to four
steps to reach a product.
 You must also give conditions for each
stage if known.
UNDERSTANDING/KEY IDEA
20.2.B

Retro-synthesis of organic
compounds.
Retro-synthesis
 Retro-synthesis simply means working
backwards from the desired product to the
starting material.
 The desired product is the “target molecule”.
 This “target molecule” is the starting point for
our thinking.
 It is systematically broken down into precursors
which get us to the starting material.
 GUIDANCE
Conversions with more than four
stages will not be assessed in
synthetic routes.
Reaction types can cover any of
the reactions covered in topic 10
and sub-topic 20.1.
Example 1

 Explain how propyl propanoate can be

synthesized from a single carboxylic acid.
Give equations and conditions for all
reactions, and state the type of reaction
occurring at the functional group at each
step.
Example 2

 You are required to make butanone

starting from any alkene of your choice.
Show the steps involved in retro-
synthesis to determine the identity of the
alkene.
 Citations

International Baccalaureate Organization. Chemistry Guide,

First assessment 2016. Updated 2015.
Brown, Catrin, and Mike Ford. Higher Level Chemistry. 2nd ed.
N.p.: Pearson Baccalaureate, 2014. Print.
ISBN 978 1 447 95975 5
eBook 978 1 447 95976 2

Most of the information found in this power point comes directly

from this textbook.

The power point has been made to directly complement the

Higher Level Chemistry textbook by Brown and Ford and is
used for direct instructional purposes only.