Some developments in the phosphitetriester method for synthesis of oligonucleotides

1,l-Dimethyl-2,2,2-trichloroethyl has merit as a protecting group for P-O in the phosphite-triester synthesis of oligonucleotides. Use of this group enables one to simplify procedures for preparing active nucleoside phosphorochloridite reagents, to remove oligonucleotide phosphotriester intermediates intact from a solid support, and to conduct block syntheses in solution or on a silica support viaphosphite chemistry. Deprotection can be achieved by warming the trihaloethyl phosphotriesters with tributylphosphine. The high efficiency of the coupling and deprotection reactions for oligomers bound to an insoluble support make this chemistry especially attractive.