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.     

A new practical strategy for the synthesis of long-chain phosphopeptide

A new practical strategy has been developed for the synthesis of long-chain phosphopeptide. Both the 2-chlorobenzyloxycarbonyl (CIZ) group for Lys and methyl (Me) for phosphoamino acids remained intact, while other commonly used side-chain protecting groups were cleaved quantitatively, during the reaction using a highly acidic trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMSA)-based reagent system (High TFMSA: TFMSA-TFA-m-cresol=1:9:1, v/v). Selective deprotection of the CIZ and Me group-containing protected phosphopeptide resin with the High TFMSA gave a partially protected phosphopeptide fragment suitable for thioester-mediated fragment condensation. A deprotection protocol of the 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc) group, which evades significant side reaction toward the protected phosphoamino acid, was also developed. These two new findings enabled us to synthesize long-chain phosphopeptide via thioester-mediated fragment condensation.     

Aryldithioethyloxycarbonyl (Ardec): a new family of amine protecting groups removable under mild reducing conditions and their applications to peptide synthesis

The development of phenyldithioethyloxycarbonyl (Phdec) and 2-pyridyldithioethyloxycarbonyl (Pydec) protecting groups, which are thiol-labile urethanes, is described. These new disulfide-based protecting groups were introduced onto the epsilon-amino group of L-lysine; the resulting amino acid derivatives were easily converted into N alpha-Fmoc building blocks suitable for both solid- and solution-phase peptide synthesis. Model dipeptide(Ardec)s were prepared by using classical peptide couplings followed by standard deprotection protocols. They were used to optimize the conditions for complete thiolytic removal of the Ardec groups both in aqueous and organic media. Phdec and Pydec were found to be cleaved within 15 to 30 min under mild reducing conditions: i) by treatment with dithiothreitol or beta-mercaptoethanol in Tris.HCl buffer (pH 8.5-9.0) for deprotection in water and ii) by treatment with beta-mercaptoethanol and 1,8-diazobicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) in N-methylpyrrolidinone for deprotection in an organic medium. Successful solid-phase synthesis of hexapeptides Ac-Lys-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-Lys(Ardec)-NH2 has clearly demonstrated the full orthogonality of these new amino protecting groups with Fmoc and Boc protections. The utility of the Ardec orthogonal deprotection strategy for site-specific chemical modification of peptides bearing several amino groups was illustrated firstly by the preparation of a fluorogenic substrate for caspase-3 protease containing the cyanine dyes Cy 3.0 and Cy 5.0 as FRET donor/acceptor pair, and by solid-phase synthesis of an hexapeptide bearing a single biotin reporter group.     

Application of Pac Ester in Thioester Method for the Synthesis of Cyclopentapeptides

Thioester method for the synthesis of cyclopeptides is improved by using Pac (Pac = phenacyl, CH2COC6Hs) ester as a protecting group of 3-mercaptopropionic acid. The Pac group is easy to be removed from C-terminal with zinc in acetic acid. The protected glycine thioester and peptide thioesters synthesized by the improved method, are easy to be purified, so the final linear peptides are pure enough for the following cyclization. Furthermore, this method is flexible for peptide chain elongation,either from C-termlnal or from N.terminal. So it is an efficient and practical method for synthesis of bioactive peptides. Two N-protected pentapeptide thioesters, Boc-Pro-Tyr-Leu-Ala-GIySCH2CH2COOPac and Boc-Ala-Tyr-Leu-Ala-Gly-SCH2CH2COOPac were synthesized by the improved thloester method.After deprotecting Pac ester with zinc in aqueous acetic acid and Boc group with trifluoroacetic acid in CH2C12, two free pentapeptide tldoesters were obtained. Ag^ -assisted cyclization in acetate buffered solution afforded two cyclic pentapeptides c(Pro-Tyr-Leu-Ala-Gly) and c(Ala-Tyr-Leu-Ala-Gly).Effects of different buffer pH, different Ag^ concentrations, etc. on the cyclization were studied.     

Improvement of Thioester Method by Using Pac Ester for Synthesis of Cyclopentapeptides

Thisoester method was improved by using Pac(Phenacyl group) ester as protecting group of 3-mercaptopropionic acid .Two cyclopentapetides c(Ala-Tyr-Leu-Ala-Gly) and c(Pro-Tyr-Leu-Ala-Gly) were synthesized successfully by this medthod.     

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 facile method for the rapid and selective deprotection of methoxymethyl (MOM) ethers

We describe a rapid and efficient method for selective deprotection of methoxymethyl (MOM) ethers using ZnBr₂ and n-PrSH, which completely removed MOM from diverse MOM ethers of primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols or phenol derivatives. The deprotection takes less than ten minutes with both high yield and selectivity in the presence of other protecting groups. In addition, the rapid deprotection of MOM ethers of tertiary hydroxyls in high yield with no epimerization allows MOM to be a suitable protecting group for tertiary alcohols.     

Synthesis of poly(2-cyclohexenone-4-yl methacrylate) and acidolysis of pendant protecting groups in the polymer

4-Acetoxy-2-cyclohexenone (ACH) and 2-cyclohexenone-4-yl methacrylate (CHM) were obtained from the condensation reaction of 4-bromo-2-cyclohexenone (BCH) with acetic acid and methacrylic acid using 1,8-diazabicyclo-[5,4,0]-7-undecene (DBU), respectively. Poly(2-cyclohexenone-4-yl methacrylate) ( P-1 ) containing acid-sensitive 2-cyclohexenone-4-yl group was prepared from the radical polymerization of CHM and the esterification of poly(methacrylic acid) with BCH using DBU. Furthermore, P-1 and CHM copolymers ( P-2 and P-3 ) were easily synthesized from the radical polymerization of methacrylic acid and comonomers in dimethylsulfoxide using 1 mol % of 2,2′-azobis (isobutyronitrile) followed by esterification of the resulting polymers with BCH using DBU by one-pot method. The deprotection reaction of ACH and P-1 was carried out in dichloromethane using an acid catalyst. The reaction proceeded smoothly in solution to give phenol and the corresponding carboxylic acid. Therefore, the 2-cyclohexenone-4-yl group is a useful protecting group for carboxylic acids, because the protection and deprotection reactions are very easy. In the case of polymer films, however, the acid was trapped by carbonyl group on the 2-cyclohexenone-4-yl group, and did not cause the deprotection reaction. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Peptide synthesis under application of the 2-(p-diphenyl)-isopropyloxycarbonyn (Dpoc)-amino protection groups

The 2-(p-diphenyl)-isopropyloxycarbonyl (Dpoc) residue has been chosen for the selective protection of α-amino groups in the synthesis of peptides containing additional acid-labile protecting residues. It is easily introduced into amino-acids by reacting either the mixed carbonate I or the azide III with esters or salts of amino-acids. It is split by dilute acetic acid and other weakly acidic reagents at rates which permit a selective cleavage in the presence of other acid-labile protecting groups, especially those derived from t-butanol A number of peptide syntheses have been carried out with the new group either in the conventional manner or by the solid-phase method. No effects due to steric hindrance, as observed previously with the N-trityl residue, are encountered. The application of the Nα-Dpoc group to solid-phase peptide synthesis permits the use of a new combination of protecting groups in which the side chains of trifunctional amino-acids are blocked by acid-labile residues that can be easily split in the final step of the synthesis.     

The trimethylsilyl xylyl (TIX) ether: a useful protecting group for alcohols

A new protecting group for alcohols, the p-trimethylsilyl xylyl (TIX) group has been developed. The TIX group is used to protect various alcohols under acidic as well as basic conditions. The protected ethers thus formed had noteworthy chemoselectivity upon deprotection in the presence of other benzyl ethers and commonly used protecting groups. The stability of the TIX group towards various reagents has also been examined.     

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).     

PHOTOLYSIS OF PHENACYL ESTERS IN A TWO-PHASE SYSTEM

ABSTRACT

Phenacyl esters are useful photoremovable protecting groups for carboxylic acids in organic synthesis and biochemistry. In this work, simple one-pot arrangements of the phenacyl and 2,5-dimethylphenacyl ester photolysis are proposed. The reactions were performed in both the benzene/water two-phase system and in water. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide was found to increase substantially the efficiency of the deprotection as well as the purity of the products by lowering the interfacial tension between the phases. Utilizing water as a medium significantly reduced the necessity to use environmentally malign organic solvents. The overall yields varied from 72 to 98% depending on the reaction conditions.     

Selective deprotection of trityl group on carbohydrate by microflow reaction inhibiting migration of acetyl group

The trityl group is an important and useful protecting group for primary hydroxy groups on carbohydrates. However, during deprotection, neighboring acetyl groups can easily migrate to the deprotected hydroxy groups. Hence, deprotection of trityl groups was optimized using a microreactor with regard to flow rate, reagent concentration, reaction time, and substrate concentration. The optimized microflow reaction conditions inhibited migration and could be applied to large-scale reactions and other substrates.     

Quantum Dot-Catalyzed Photoreductive Removal of Sulfonyl-Based Protecting Groups

This Communication describes the use of CuInS₂/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as photocatalysts for the reductive deprotection of aryl sulfonyl-protected phenols. For a series of aryl sulfonates with electron-withdrawing substituents, the rate of deprotection for the corresponding phenyl aryl sulfonates increases with decreasing electrochemical potential for the two electron transfers within the catalytic cycle. The rate of deprotection for a substrate that contains a carboxylic acid, a known QD-binding group, is accelerated by more than a factor of ten from that expected from the electrochemical potential for the transformation, a result that suggests that formation of metastable electron donor–acceptor complexes provides a significant kinetic advantage. This deprotection method does not perturb the common NHBoc or toluenesulfonyl protecting groups and, as demonstrated with an estrone substrate, does not perturb proximate ketones, which are generally vulnerable to many chemical reduction methods used for this class of reactions.     

Quantum Dot‐Catalyzed Photoreductive Removal of Sulfonyl‐Based Protecting Groups

This Communication describes the use of CuInS₂/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as photocatalysts for the reductive deprotection of aryl sulfonyl‐protected phenols. For a series of aryl sulfonates with electron‐withdrawing substituents, the rate of deprotection for the corresponding phenyl aryl sulfonates increases with decreasing electrochemical potential for the two electron transfers within the catalytic cycle. The rate of deprotection for a substrate that contains a carboxylic acid, a known QD‐binding group, is accelerated by more than a factor of ten from that expected from the electrochemical potential for the transformation, a result that suggests that formation of metastable electron donor–acceptor complexes provides a significant kinetic advantage. This deprotection method does not perturb the common NHBoc or toluenesulfonyl protecting groups and, as demonstrated with an estrone substrate, does not perturb proximate ketones, which are generally vulnerable to many chemical reduction methods used for this class of reactions.     

AJIPHASE®: A Highly Efficient Synthetic Method for One-Pot Peptide Elongation in the Solution Phase by an Fmoc Strategy

We previously reported an efficient peptide synthesis method, AJIPHASE®, that comprises repeated reactions and isolations by precipitation. This method utilizes an anchor molecule with long-chain alkyl groups as a protecting group for the C-terminus. To further improve this method, we developed a one-pot synthesis of a peptide sequence wherein the synthetic intermediates were isolated by solvent extraction instead of precipitation. A branched-chain anchor molecule was used in the new process, significantly enhancing the solubility of long peptides and the operational efficiency compared with the previous method, which employed precipitation for isolation and a straight-chain aliphatic group. Another prerequisite for this solvent-extraction-based strategy was the use of thiomalic acid and DBU for Fmoc deprotection, which facilitates the removal of byproducts, such as the fulvene adduct.     

Coumarin-caged dG for improved wavelength-selective uncaging of DNA

Herein we report on diethylaminocoumarin (DEACM) as a new photoremovable protecting group for 2'-deoxyguanosine in oligonucleotides. An oligonucleotide with O(6)-DEACM-caged dG was synthesized and photochemically analyzed. The DEACM group shows superior photochemical properties at 405 nm with an uncaging efficiency (ε·φ) for deprotection that is 17 times higher than that for 2-(o-nitrophenyl)-propyl NPP caging groups in the same position. Wavelength-selective deprotection in the presence of NPP groups proceeds up to 80 times faster.     

A mild Boc deprotection and the importance of a free carboxylate

We report a facile and rapid removal of Boc protecting groups using microwave heating in H₂O, with deprotection only requiring a free carboxylic acid group in the starting material. Unlike previous approaches, no additional reagents are required.     

Cover Picture

The cover picture shows a new concept in protecting-group chemistry termed unichemo protection (UCP). This strategy only requires a single chemical process for all deprotection reactions. The UCP protecting groups are derived from a repetitive unit that permits their controlled and efficient step-wise removal. Functional-site selectivity is achieved by varying the degree of oligomerization at each site, and, after each deprotection cycle, only the newly liberated functional site is available for derivatization. The UCP strategy does not impose a restriction on the possible number of selectively protected sites in a molecule. The low-energy conformer of the pentalysine scaffold assembled with N-sec-butylglycyl protecting-group units is shown bottom left. By using the UCP approach the five protecting groups were sequentially removed and the exposed amino acid groups functionalized with five different organic acids. UCP facilitates an orthogonal process that is not dependent on a range of finely tuned and differently compatible processes. Moreover, since UCP is based on uniform deprotection reactions, the requirement of reaction compatibility with other parts of a molecule only increases linearly with the degree of polyfunctionalization (graph, bottom right). That is, after the initial requirement of parent-molecule stability is satisfied, only the sequential requirements towards each newly introduced group is an issue. In contrast, a quadratic increase in complexity with respect to the number of protected functional groups, even in the simplest cases, accompanies existing orthogonal protection strategies. More about the UCP strategy is reported by L. P. Miranda and M. Meldal on p. 3655ff.     

Scope and limitations of the nitro-Mannich reaction for the stereoselective synthesis of 1,2-diamines

The acetic acid-promoted addition of lithium nitropropanate and the Lewis acid-catalyzed [Sc(OTf)3, Cu(OTf)2, or Ti(OiPr)4] addition of trimethylsilyl nitropropanate to a range of heteroaromatic and simple aliphatic aldimines gave anti-rich (approximately 3-19:1) beta-nitroamines in >95% yields as the kinetic products. It was found that a nonpolar N-imine protecting group was essential for reactivity with the o-methoxybenzyl (OMB) group giving better selectivities and yields than p-methoxybenzyl (PMB) or p-methoxyphenyl (PMP) in the Lewis acid-catalyzed addition reactions. Reduction with SmI2, treatment with COCl2, followed by OMB deprotection gave diastereomerically pure cis-imidazolidinones in 55-79% overall yield from imine. Preliminary results have shown that acetic acid can catalyze the reaction of N-OMB-benzylideneamine with nitropropane, used as solvent, to give the thermodynamically more stable syn-beta-nitroamine product.