Oligonucleotides, solid phase synthesis protecting groups

Benzyl ethers bearing electron-donating groups can be cleaved by treatment with acids or oxidants. The rate of solvolysis increases with the number of electron-donating groups, and in the series benzyl < benzhydryl < trityl. For the solid-phase synthesis of oligonucleotides, the 5 -hydroxyl group is usually protected as 4,4/-dimethoxytrityl... 

Several reports published within the year describe new photocleavage protecting groups. The accounts by Misetic and Boyd, and Giegrich et al. outline such mechanisms for primary alcohols and in nucleoside/nucleotide systems respectively, while the work of Akerblom et al. is relevant to the synthesis of combinatorial chemical libraries on solid phases and that of McGall et al. is of use in the solid phase synthesis of polypeptides and oligonucleotides. 

Like solid-phase peptide synthesis, the preparation of oligonucleotides relies heavily on protecting groups and bond-forming methods. 

---