Dioxygenated Pattern 1,4-CO

Example 5.1 Suggest the retrosynthesis and then propose the synthesis of 2-hydroxy-2-phenylpropionic acid TM 5.1. 

Ketone is easily available so we start the search for the synthetic equivalent of the illogical anion, and as a matter of fact this is found in the cyanide anion  

Cyanide salts are available with either inorganic or organic cations, and a cyanide group can be conveniently prepared with radioactive C-labeled atoms. The cyanohydrin reaction serves for the preparation of more complex C-labeled carboxylic acids and their derivatives intended for pharmacological studies. 

Cyanide salts are also used in the Strecker synthesis of a-amino acids. This well-known name reaction generates compounds with a 1,2-disubstimted pattern whose disconnection results in one illogical synthon. Example 5.3 presents some mechanistic details of this reaction, suggested by rcfra-Strecker disconnection. 

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