New methodology for the synthesis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D conjugates

A new method for synthesizing regiospecific 3-position vitamin D conjugates is described. Reaction of either 25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 or 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 with p-nitrophenylchloroformate resulted in conversion to the respective 3-p-nitrophenylcarbonates. Reaction of the p-nitrophenylcarbonates with amines produced the 3-carbamates in good yield. Careful selection of commercially available amines and non-acidic conditions made this pathway amenable to the preparation of fluorescent, chemiluminescent, or biotinylated conjugates. This strategy offers a general method for the preparation of vitamin D conjugates.