A thermally-cleavable linker for solid-phase synthesis

Oxabicyclo[2.2.1]norbornenes constitute a convenient and readily cleaved linker for solid-phase organic synthesis. A simple and inexpensive furfuryl-substituted resin has been shown to capture and release maleimide dienophiles under conditions compatible with intermediate synthetic steps. The synthesis of β-amino, -thiophenoxy, and -hydrazino alcohols by epoxide ring opening, and maleimide-functionalized Leu-enkephalin by standard peptide coupling techniques, are described to illustrate the utility of the solid-phase synthesis methodology.