Dimethoxybenzoin carbonates: photochemically-removable alcohol protecting groups suitable for phosphoramidite-based DNA synthesis

Experimental studies indicate that carbonate ester of 3,5-dimethoxybenzoin (DMB) is an efficient photochemically-removable alcohol protecting group. Syntheses of two simple trinucleotides demonstrate the efficiency of DMB carbonate protecting group for the photochemical synthesis of DNA. The 5'-hydroxyl groups of nucleosides can be protected by DMB-carbonate group and thus helps develop a photochemical version of phosphoramidite-based DNA synthesis.