retrosynthesis

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noun

The prediction of precursors (intermediates and reactants), given the products of a synthesis reaction.

Similar
retrosynthetic analysis
Scrabble 20

Meanings

nounretrosynthesis (countable and uncountable, plural retrosyntheses)

plural retrosyntheses

  1. countableuncountablechemistryThe prediction of precursors (intermediates and reactants), given the products of a synthesis reaction.

    1983, Francis A. Carey, Richard J. Sundberg, Advanced Organic Chemistry: Reactions and synthesis, Plenum Press, page 578, The retrosyntheses shown in Scheme 11.11 correspond to the syntheses in Schemes 11.12 and 11.13.

    2 more examples

    The retrosyntheses shown in Scheme 2 lead directly to acetylene-type retrons (14)-(16) (path a) or implicate the use of Dewar o-xylylene (17) (path b) and the smaller retrons (18)-(20); the latter path was the route we elected to pursue (Scheme 3).

    1991, Australian Journal of Chemistry, Volume 44, CSIRO, page 1294

    For example, the above mentioned retrosynthesis of nacre [132] is as much bio-inspired as is the crystallization in presence of hydrophilic polymers [44], although in the first case, the original biomineral structure is reproduced, whereas in the latter case, no biomineral is reproduced but complex crystal morphologies are obtained.

    2007, Helmut Cölfen, “Bio-inspired Mineralization Using Hydrophilic Polymers”, in Kensuke Naka, editor, Biomineralization II: Mineralization Using Synthetic Polymers and Templates, Springer, page 25

    Synonyms: retrosynthetic analysis

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe prediction of precursors (intermediates and reactants), given the products of a synthesis reaction.

Similar
retrosynthetic analysis

Origin

Translations

German Retrosynthese
  • Retrosyntheseprediction of precursors in a synthesis reaction
Italian retrosintesi, analisi retrosintetica
  • retrosintesiprediction of precursors in a synthesis reaction
  • analisi retrosinteticaprediction of precursors in a synthesis reaction
Polish retrosynteza
  • retrosyntezaprediction of precursors in a synthesis reaction
Spanish retrosintesi, análisis retrosintético
  • retrosintesiprediction of precursors in a synthesis reaction
  • análisis retrosintéticoprediction of precursors in a synthesis reaction
Cite this entry
APA

retrosynthesis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retrosynthesis

MLA

“retrosynthesis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retrosynthesis. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “retrosynthesis,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retrosynthesis.

Source: retrosynthesis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.