Retrosynthesis

Abstract

The American chemist Elias James Corey was awarded the 1990 Nobel Prize in chemistry for developing the theory
and methodology of organic synthesis. He called his method “retrosynthetic analysis,” a technique for simplifying the
synthesis of large complex molecules. He worked out and described in detail a new and fruitful systematic approach to
synthetic chemistry. He has synthesized over 100 substances, including ginkgolide B (a compound extracted from the
ginkgo tree and used experimentally to treat asthma) and prostaglandins (hormone-like compounds used to induce labor
and treat infertility). Corey—Nobel Prize for Retrosynthetic Analysis