Photolabile group for 5′-OH protection of nucleosides: synthesis and photodeprotection rate

In this paper, we described the properties of a new photolabile group, 2-(3,4-methylenedioxy-6-nitrophenyl)propoxycarbonyl, MNPPOC. In spite of moderate yields of synthesis, photolytic properties could be analyzed for 5′-OH protected T and dAiBu. The half-lives (t1/2) 11 and 12 s were found, respectively, with a good recovery of the corresponding deprotected deoxynucleoside (95–99%). The photolysis rate of this new photolabile group was five-fold faster than the MeNPOC one.