Problems and exercisesRetrosynthesis examples
Exercise 1
In going from erythromycin to clarithromycin, an antibiotic patented by, among others, the author of this website, only one OH (that at C6) out of several must be methylated. What kind of problem is this and what tools from this topic help solve it?
Exercise 2
In the synthesis of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) from shikimic acid, what are the advantages of starting from a chiral natural product? Give one practical drawback.