Page 20 - Advanced Organic Chemistry Part B - Reactions & Synthesis

A major purpose of organic synthesis at the current time is the discovery, under- xxi
standing, and application of biological activity. Pharmaceutical laboratories, research
foundations, and government and academic institutions throughout the world are Introduction
engaged in this research. Many new compounds are synthesized to discover useful
biological activity, and when activity is discovered, related compounds are synthe-
sized to improve it. Syntheses suitable for production of drug candidate molecules are
developed. Other compounds are synthesized to explore the mechanisms of biological
processes. The ultimate goal is to apply this knowledge about biological activity for
treatment and prevention of disease. Another major application of synthesis is in
agriculture for control of insects and weeds. Organic synthesis also plays a part in the
development of many consumer products, such as fragrances.
The unique power of synthesis is the ability to create new molecules and materials
with valuable properties. This capacity can be used to interact with the natural world,
as in the treatment of disease or the production of food, but it can also produce
compounds and materials beyond the capacity of living systems. Our present world
uses vast amounts of synthetic polymers, mainly derived from petroleum by synthesis.
The development of nanotechnology, which envisions the application of properties
at the molecular level to catalysis, energy transfer, and information management has
focused attention on multimolecular arrays and systems capable of self-assembly. We
can expect that in the future synthesis will bring into existence new substances with
unique properties that will have impacts as profound as those resulting from syntheses
of therapeutics and polymeric materials.