A mild and selective cleavage of trityl ethers by CBr4–MeOH

Trityl ethers are selectively deprotected to the corresponding alcohols in high yields by CBr4 in refluxing methanol under neutral reaction conditions. Other hydroxyl protecting groups like isopropylidene, allyl, benzyl, acetyl, benzoyl, methyl, tosyl, prenyl, propargyl, tert-butyldiphenylsilyl and p-methoxybenzyl ethers are unaffected.