Chemical synthesis
Chemists start to design a chemical synthesis by selecting compounds to combine. These starting compounds are known as reagents or reactants. Chemists use various reaction types to these to synthesize the product, or an intermediate product. This requires mixing the compounds in a reaction vessel. Many reactions require some form of work-up procedure before the final product is isolated. Vogel's Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry, 5th Edition'. Prentice Hall, 1996.