11 Synthesis of the quinine
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In 1820, the quinine is extracted from the cinchona tree
by the French chemists J. Pelletier and J. Caventou. It's
then the only remedy known against the malaria. In
1853, the French chemist Louis Pasteur uses the natural
quinine to synthesize a new molecule, the quinotoxine.
In 1856, the English chemist W.H. Perkin tries to
synthesize the quinine. He doesn't succeed and
discovers instead by chance the mauveine, which will
be used as the first artificial colouring agent.
Quinotoxine is then used as reagent to synthesize
quinine using a protocol in three stages proposed by
the German chemists P. Rabe and K. Kindler.
In 1944, the American researchers R. Woodward and
W. Doering propose a synthesis in seventeen stages
to obtain the quinotoxine from synthetic molecules
instead.
a. Search the definition of artificial species.
b. Why can we assert that the synthesis of the quinine
requires several chemical transformations?
c. Show that scientific research requires a worldwide
collaboration.