Addition reactions are one of the greatest tools in a medicinal chemists’ toolkit! In this simulation, you will learn the principles of the nucleophilic addition reaction and put your knowledge into practice by performing a Grignard reaction to synthesize a potential cancer drug candidate. You’ll have the chance to make a ground-breaking drug discovery!

Last-ditch drug discovery

Join scientists in a drug discovery team as they investigate one last hunch before the failing project is shut down. Students will get hands-on in exploring the nucleophilic addition reaction in a pharmaceutical research lab, and apply their knowledge to help synthesize a molecule with therapeutic potential. To transform the existing ketone into the target alcohol, students will develop their practical and theoretical knowledge of the Grignard reaction.

Nucleophilic addition - experiment and explore!

Interact with nucleophilic addition reaction components at a molecular level with our 3D reaction visualizer. Identify important reaction components before triggering the electron flow to carry out the reaction before your eyes! Get up close with the mechanistic principles of nucleophilic addition and better acquainted with molecular-level reactivity considerations.

You’ll also have the chance to give a Grignard reaction a go in a safe and instructive lab environment. Synthesize your moisture-sensitive Grignard reagent in situ before using it directly in a Grignard reaction to get one step closer to your target molecule. Prompts from Dr. One will remind you of the tricky practical aspects to remember for a successful Grignard reaction!

Pharmaceutical scale-up

To complete the simulation you’ll investigate factors you’ll need to consider in scaling up the Grignard reaction to an industrial scale if the drug is shown to be a ‘hit’. Will you be able to design a synthesis for an effective treatment for breast cancer?