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6.3: Carbonyl Protecting Groups

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    23476
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    Acetals and Ketals

    Cyclic acetals and ketals are the most useful carbonyl (aldehyde or ketone) protecting groups. Common diols used to form ketals are show below in order of their relative rate of formation.

    Chemical reaction diagram showing the transformation of a compound with amine and hydroxyl groups into others.

    1,3-dioxanes cleave faster than 1,3-dioxolanes.

    Chemical structure diagram showing a cyclic compound transforming into a different structure, with R groups indicating variable substituents.

    Acetals and ketals are easily formed and cleaved.

    Chemical reaction sequence showing the transformation of a compound involving hydroxylamine and water to form a cyclic structure.

    In general, saturated ketones can be selectively protected in the presence of a,b-unsaturated ketones

    Chemical reaction diagram showing the conversion of a compound on the left to a different compound on the right with reagents.

    See: J. Org. Chem., 1986, 51, 773-784.

    Conditions have also been developed to reverse this selectivity:

    Chemical reaction showing the transformation of a compound with TBSOTf in CH2Cl2 at -78°C, yielding a new product.

    See: Tetrahedron Lett., 1980, 21, 1357-1358.

    Carboxylic Acid Protecting Groups

    Esters

    Ester protecting groups are analogous to the carbamate protecting groups used to protect amines.

    Orthoesters

    Chemical structure diagram depicting a series of interconnected organic molecules.


    6.3: Carbonyl Protecting Groups is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.