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 syntheti

c routes given starting reagents and t
he 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 compound

s.
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.