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Published on: August 17, 2016
Using the 3-Diethylaminobenzyl Group as a Photocage in Aqueous Solution
1Department of Chemistry , University of Alabama at Birmingham , 901 14th Street South, Birmingham , Alabama 35294 , United States.
Abstract:
We have demonstrated that the 3-diethylaminobenzyl (DEABn) photolabile protecting group (PPG) is an effective and structurally simple PPG for releasing molecules in aqueous environment. In general, the photoreaction is clean, and the released substrate and the PPG product, i.e., 3-diethylaminobenzyl alcohol, are obtained in high yield. The clean photoreaction can also be achieved under mild ambient conditions with sunlight, while the reactant is stable under indoor lighting. Release of two substrates from one PPG chromophore in aqueous solution has been demonstrated to be feasible. We have also compared the uncaging properties of the DEABn and the widely used o-nitrobenzyl ( o-NB) group, given their comparable structural simplicity. With its clean and efficient photochemical reaction, DEABn should find wide applications, including in the basic and applied research areas where o-NB and its various derivatives are widely used.
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