A total synthesis constructs a target compound from simpler starting materials through a planned sequence of chemical reactions. For a complex target, success includes the required connectivity and stereochemistry, not merely the elemental formula or an approximate mass.
Tropinone provides a classic strategic example: compatible small precursors can assemble a bridged framework through a coordinated sequence, rather than making every ring separately.[ref]
A Synthesis of Tropinone by Robert Robinson. Original synthesis: multicomponent construction of the target skeleton
A route's value also depends on selectivity, yield, operational reliability and how easily structural identity can be established. “Total” does not require that every carbon atom begin as an element.
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