2-(Prenyloxymethyl)benzoyl (POMB) group: a new temporary protecting group removable by intramolecular cyclization

2-(Prenyloxymethyl)benzoates can be prepared from alcohols and readily available 2-(prenyloxymethyl)benzoic acid by standard acylation techniques or by Mitsunobu reaction with inversion of configuration. The POMB group can be cleaved first by oxidative removal of the prenyl group with DDQ followed by lactonization with expulsion of the alcohol catalyzed by Yb(OTf)₃. These reaction conditions are compatible with the presence of a large number of common protecting groups.     

2-(1,3-Dioxan-2-yl)ethylsulfonyl group: a new versatile protecting and activating group for amine synthesis

[reaction: see text] 2-(1,3-Dioxan-2-yl)ethylsulfonyl (Dios) chloride was synthesized and used as a new versatile sulfonating agent for amines. Primary and secondary amines were sulfonated very easily in excellent yields with Dios chloride. N-Nonsubstituted and N-monosubstituted Dios-amides, activated amines, were alkylated satisfactorily under new Mitsunobu conditions utilizing (cyanomethylene)tributylphosphorane (CMBP). The Dios group is very stable under basic and reductive conditions and is removed by heating in a hot aqueous solution of trifluoroacetic acid.     

A benzyloxy group migration under Mitsunobu reaction conditions

When compounds 3a and 3b were subjected to a Mitsunobu reaction with benzoylthymine, the expected substitution products were formed together with the regioisomers corresponding to benzyloxy group migrations.     

Photoremovable NPEC group compatible with Ns protecting group in polyamine synthesis

Herein, we disclose an efficient combination of NPEC and Ns protecting groups in the synthesis of polyamine, by showing the orthogonal reactivity using N-NPEC-N-Ns alkylamines prepared from NPEC-NHNs. Selective photodeprotection of NPEC group in 12-mer polyamine and the complex conjugate has been further demonstrated toward the synthesis of novel polyamine natural product protoaculeine B.     

A novel redox-sensitive protecting group for boronic acids, MPMP-diol

A new boronic acid protecting group, 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methylpropane-1,2-diol (MPMP-diol), has been developed. Both protection and deprotection can be accomplished under mild conditions with quantitative conversions. The deprotection can be carried out using 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ).     

A new protecting group for tryptophan in solid-phase peptide synthesis which protects against acid-catalyzed side reactions and facilitates purification by HPLC

The indole nucleus of Z-Trp-OBzl is modified by acylation of the indole nitrogen using Boc-N-methyl butyric acid followed by catalytic hydrogenation and introduction of the Fmoc group. The resulting derivative, Fmoc-Trp(Boc-Nmbu)-OH, is incorporated into peptide chains via solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). After assembly of the peptide chain, the Boc group is cleaved by treatment with TFA. The peptide is isolated with the tryptophan residue modified with a cationic 4-(N-methylamino) butanoyl group, which improves the solubility of the peptide during HPLC purification. On treatment of the purified peptide at pH 9.5, the Nmbu group undergoes an intramolecular cyclization reaction; this results in the fully deprotected peptide and N-methylpyrrolidone.     

A new protecting group for the exocyclic amino groups of nucleosides

A new protecting group has been developed for the exocyclic amino groups of nucleosides that occur in DNA. 3-Phenyl-[{N-(2-trimethylsilyl-ethoxycarbonyl)-2-amino}]-propanoic acid used as the protective agent.     

Methyl esters: an alternative protecting group for the synthesis of O-glycosyl amino acid building blocks

The glycosyl amino acids α-GalNAc-Ser and α-GalNAc-Thr are fundamental building blocks for glycopeptide synthesis, Schmidt’s synthesis method often being chosen for this purpose. Methyl esters used as orthogonal carboxylic acid protecting group in this procedure were found to be an efficient and inexpensive alternative to other groups. The mild selective methyl ester deprotection by LiI improved the efficiency of the synthesis method.     

A new oligosaccharide synthesis using special hydroxy protecting group

A new hydroxy protecting group for convenient preparation of oligosaccharide was developed using uni-chemo protection (UCP) concept. The UCP group was comprised of polymerized amino acid derivatives and protecting each hydroxyl groups by ester linkage. Depending on the polymerization degree, the hydroxyl groups were characterized and controlled. Using this protecting group, two kinds of sialyl-T analogues were successfully synthesized from same sugar parts merely by repeating Edman degradation and coupling.     

Strategies for protecting and manipulating triazine derivatives

Aminotriazine derivatives are available in two steps by treating chlorotriazines with acid-labile benzylic amines including triphenylmethylamine, diphenylmethylamine, and 2,4-dimethoxybenzyl-amine (Dmb-amine), followed by deprotection using trifluoroacetic acid. This high yielding (85-99%) protocol is a milder alternative to the traditional method that uses ammonia and high temperature as a route to aminotriazine derivatives. The nucleophilic substitution reaction that installs the benzylic amine on monochlorotriazine herbicide derivatives may be performed using conventional heating. Alternatively, a microwave reactor can be used to decrease the reaction times 100-fold. The intermediates in these syntheses are soluble in a range of organic solvents and amenable to chromatography. In some cases when dimethoxybenzyl groups are used, oligomerization of the dimethoxybenzyl side product upon treatment with trifluoroacetic acid yields a precipitate that facilitates purification by simple filtration.     

A colourful azulene-based protecting group for carboxylic acids

An intensely blue-coloured protecting group for carboxylic acids has been developed. The protecting group is introduced through a Steglich esterification that couples 6-(2-hydroxyethyl)azulene (AzulE) and the carboxylic acid substrate. Deprotection is effected under basic conditions by the addition of the amidine base DBU, whereupon cleavage occurs, accompanied by a colour change. A two-step deprotection methodology comprising activation with oxalyl chloride and deprotection with a very mild base was developed for use with base-sensitive substrates. The AzulE esters were found to be compatible with other commonly employed protecting groups – silyl ethers, MOM acetals – by studying their orthogonal and concomitant deprotections. The stability of the new protecting group towards various synthetic processes – oxidation, reduction, cross-coupling, olefination and treatment with base – provided the basis of a versatility profile. This indicated that AzulE esters are sensitive to strongly oxidising and basic agents while being compatible with reducing conditions and selected other reactions. The convenience of a highly coloured protecting group for tracking material (and avoiding loss of compound) through laboratory processes warrants further investigation of this and/or related species.     

Synthesis and application of an IL-supported diol as protecting group for aldehydes

A new IL-supported diol,1-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate has been synthesized and char- acterized by FT-IR,~1H NMR,~(13)C NMR and MS (ESI).Its physical properties such as freezing point,solubility and specific gravity and thermal stability were determined.Synthetic utilities of the resultant diol as a protecting group for aldehydes were also investigated.     

Total synthesis of bidensyneosides A2 and C: remarkable protecting group effects in glycosylation

Bidensyneosides are a group of five recently identified polyacetylenic glucosides from Bidens parviflora WILLD, a traditional Chinese medicinal plant that contains rich bioactive natural products. It was shown that bidensyneosides inhibited both histamine release and nitric oxide production. The synthesis of bidensyneoside A2 (2) and C (4) as well as 3-deoxybidensyneoside C (5) are described. These syntheses establish a synthetic entry to the bidensyneosides and confirm the stereochemistry at C3. Furthermore, a remarkable protecting group effect on orthoester formation was observed during the glycosylation reaction.     

p-Anisyl group: A versatile protecting group for primary alcohols

A primary alcohol can be protected as a highly stable p-anisyl ether, which undergoes mild oxidative deprotection by ceric ammonium nitrate.     

The para-siletanylbenzyl (PSB) ether: a peroxide-cleavable protecting group for alcohols and phenols

A novel arylmethyl protecting group that is electronically similar to benzyl (Bn) but that can be cleaved under mild oxidizing conditions in the presence of para-methoxybenzyl (PMB) is described herein. para-Siletanylbenzyl (PSB) ethers are formed in one or two steps from the corresponding alcohols and cleaved in one or two steps with basic peroxide. Alcohols and phenols have been protected in good yields and deprotected cleanly under mild oxidative conditions.     

A versatile solid-phase synthesis of 3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazolones and analogues

We report here the first method to load acidic heterocyclic compounds (1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-one, 1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-thione and 1,2,3,5-oxathiadazol-2-oxide) on a polymer. Using Mitsunobu conditions, these heterocycles were anchored on a 4-hydroxymethyl-3-methoxyphenoxybutyric acid benzhydrylamine (HMPB-BHA) resin. After diversification, compounds can be recovered by a simple treatment in diluted TFA. To illustrate the utility of this procedure, iodophenyl derivatives were anchored on the same resin. A HRMAS-NMR analysis shed light on the reactivity of these heterocycles in Mitsunobu conditions. A subsequent diversification using a Sonogashira coupling produced a small array of novel (arylethynyl)-phenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ones.     

Oligoribonucleotide synthesis by the use of 1-(2-cyanoethoxy)ethyl (CEE) as a 2′-hydroxy protecting group

A novel method for the synthesis of oligoribonucleotides using 1-(2-cyanoethoxy)ethyl (CEE) as a 2′-hydroxy protecting group has been developed. A CEE group was introduced to the 2′-position of N-acyl-3′,5′-O-silyl-protected ribonucleosides under acidic conditions in good yields. The 2′-O-CEE group was found to be stable in an aqueous or ethanolic ammonia and was quickly removed by treatment with anhydrous tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF). A combination of the use of N-acyl and 2′-O-CEE protecting groups enabled a reliable and complete two-step deprotection, first with NH₃–EtOH, then with TBAF in THF, without cleavage of internucleotidic linkages.     

A new scalable synthesis of entecavir

A new synthesis of entecavir from d-glucose in an average total yield of 3.5% was achieved via an intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition (INOC) reaction and a Peterson olefination as key-steps. The present process was designed for industrial application, using widely available raw materials, simple and cheap reagents and avoiding low reaction temperatures, which are very common in the synthetic approaches towards similarly complex structures.     

Chemical synthesis of bioactive siRNA in solution phase by using 2-(azidomethyl)benzoyl as 3′-hydroxyl group protecting group

A protecting group AZMB was introduced to ribonucleosides 3′-hydroxyl group to facilitate solution phase synthesis of siRNA. The protection and cleavage reaction were carried out in mild conditions, that is protection by acyl chloride and cleavage by triphenylphosphine. The synthesized siRNA showed good biological activity to suppress targeted superoxide dismutase gene expression.     

Liquid and solid phase syntheses of orthogonally protected α-hydrazinoacid derivatives

The first solid phase synthesis of chiral α-hydrazinoacids has been developed. This synthesis was achieved by the preparation of solid supported-N-alkyloxycarbonyl-aminophthalimides used as acidic partners in the Mitsunobu protocol involving α-hydroxyesters. Two different final trans-protection steps of the phthaloyl group, developed first in liquid phase, result in efficient releases of orthogonally bis-protected or fully tris-protected hydrazine derivatives. A comparison between liquid and solid phase syntheses is outlined: even if the overall yields are sometimes rather higher by the liquid phase synthesis, the on-resin protocol is much more rapid and convenient than the liquid protocol.