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Retrosynthesis scheme template
Free template. Download it, or open it in MolDraw to change it first.
Paracetamol by C–N amide disconnection and FGI to phenol, with wavy disconnection marks, synthons and their reagents, the forward route, and a Mannich (1,3-diX) disconnection of a β-amino ketone.
What the template shows
- Disconnect the target back to available starting materials, then write the forward route
- paracetamol (target)
- acylium synthon
- ArNH⁻ synthon
- β-amino ketone
- acetophenone (via enol)
- synthetic equivalents (reagents):
- Retrosynthetic analysis
- Forward synthesis (typical conditions)
- Two-group (1,3-diX) disconnection: β-amino ketone
- The retrosynthetic arrow (printed as an open double arrow ⇒) means “is made from”: never use it in a forward scheme.
- Mark each disconnection with a wavy line through the bond and name it above the arrow (C–N amide, FGI, 1,3-diX).
- Synthons are idealised fragments (charges show their polarity); write the real reagent, the synthetic equivalent, under each one.
- Disconnect next to heteroatoms and at bonds a reliable reaction makes; FGI (functional group interconversion) sets up the next disconnection.
- Finish with the forward synthesis and its conditions, numbering compounds in bold in the order the text cites them.
- Example route for teaching; conditions are typical, not optimised · every part of this figure is editable
Drawn with 124 atoms, 7 arrows, 52 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.
Sources
How to use this template
- Press Edit in MolDraw. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
- Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need.
- Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page.
- Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Retrosynthesis scheme template free?
Yes. The Retrosynthesis scheme template is one of the free MolDraw templates: open it in the editor or download it from this page as SVG or PNG and use it in your slides, worksheets and notes.
Can I edit the Retrosynthesis scheme template?
Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.
Is the chemistry checked?
Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.
Are the research figure templates suitable for journals?
They follow common ACS and RSC figure conventions (scheme layout, numbered compounds, condition text above and below arrows). Export as SVG or PDF for the final figure.