Total synthesis

A total synthesis (or full synthesis ) describes the complete chemical synthesis of a complex organic molecule - mostly a natural substance  - from simply structured, if possible commercially available basic substances.

Until the second half of the 20th century, the total synthesis of a natural product was the definitive proof of its structure, especially its configuration (the stereochemical , i.e. spatial, structure). Thanks to modern analytical methods (including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and crystal structure analysis ), this aspect of total synthesis has now faded into the background.

One method of synthesis planning is the retrosynthetic breakdown of the target molecule into synthons .

Total synthesis was and still is the driving force behind the development of new and powerful synthetic methods. Classic examples are the total syntheses of quinine , cholesterol , cortisone , erythromycin , strychnine , lysergic acid , reserpine , chlorophyll , colchicine , vitamin B ₁₂ and prostaglandin F-2a , which were carried out between 1945 and 1976 by Robert B. Woodward . In 1965 Woodward was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this.

Elias James Corey was also awarded the Nobel Prize in 1990 for his contributions to total synthesis and the development of retrosynthetic analysis .

In connection with total synthesis, Kyriaco's Costa Nicolaou must also be mentioned. In addition to numerous syntheses of his own, Nicolaou also published the Classics in Total Synthesis book series , which highlighted some of the highlights of total synthesis.

literature

• Miguel A. Sierra, Maria C. de la Torre: Failures and detours in total syntheses in the nineties. Angewandte Chemie 112 (9), pp. 1628-1650 (2000), doi : 10.1002 / (SICI) 1521-3757 (20000502) 112: 9 <1628 :: AID-ANGE1628> 3.0.CO; 2-5 .
• KC Nicolaou, Dionisios Vourloumis, Nicolas Winssinger, Phil S. Baran: The State of Total Synthesis at the Beginning of the 21st Century. Angewandte Chemie 112 (1), pp. 46-126 (2000), doi : 10.1002 / (SICI) 1521-3757 (20000103) 112: 1 <46 :: AID-ANGE46> 3.0.CO; 2-P .
• KC Nicolaou, EJ Sorensen: Classics in Total Synthesis. 1996.
• KC Nicolaou, SA Snyder: Classics in Total Synthesis II. 2003.

Web links

• Total Synthesis Highlights (english)
• Total Synthesis News (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Scientific review . Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft, 1975, p. 221.