N-Methyl-N-(o-nitrophenyl)carbamates as photolabile alcohol protecting groups

N-Methyl-N-(o-nitrophenyl)carbamates represent new photoremovable alcohol protecting groups. This protecting group is easily incorporated by chemical coupling of the corresponding alcohol to N-methyl-N-(o-nitrophenyl)carbamoyl chloride. High yield and clean deprotection are induced by photolysis in protic solvents (water, ethanol or ethanol/water mixtures) from 254 to 365 nm.