A new strategy for the synthesis of oligodeoxynucleotides directed towards perfect O-selective internucleotidic bond formation without base protection

Deoxyadenosine and deoxycytidine have nucleophilic amino groups so that the undesired N-phosphitylation of these amino groups occurred in the previous phosphoramidite methods without base protection. We report that the N-phosphitylation could be considerably suppressed in our new HOBt-mediated coupling strategy via phosphite intermediates as reactive species. Thus, 99.7–99.9% O-selective internucleotidic bond formation was achieved.