Example
In planning the synthesis of phenylacetic acid, two synthons are identified: a nucleophilic "-COOH" group, and an electrophilic "PhCH2+" group. Of course, both synthons do not exist per se; synthetic equivalents corresponding to the synthons are reacted to produce the desired reactant. In this case, the cyanide anion is the synthetic equivalent for the -COOH synthon, while benzyl bromide is the synthetic equivalent for the benzyl synthon.
The synthesis of phenylacetic acid determined by retrosynthetic analysis is thus:
- PhCH2Br + NaCN → PhCH2CN + NaBr
- PhCH2CN + 2 H2O → PhCH2COOH + NH3
- C2 synthons - acetylene, acetaldehyde
- -C2H4OH synthon - ethylene oxide
- carbocation synthons - alkyl halides
- carbanion synthons - Grignard reagents, organolithiums, substituted acetylides
Read more about this topic: Synthon
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